The Mandalorian: Full Cast Of Star Wars Series Revealed
The Mandalorian has rounded out its cast, and it is — in a manner of speaking — out of this world.
Narcos star Pedro Pascal has finally been confirmed to be the show's lead, as has long been suspected. He's being joined by a laundry list of heavyweight actors who will flesh out the world of the Disney+ streaming series, which is being executive produced and written by Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Iron Man 2).
As we've previously reported, MMA fighter-turned-actress Gina Carano (Deadpool) and veteran actor Nick Nolte (Affliction) have also been cast. But today's announcement also revealed the involvement of yet more intriguing names, including Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad's Gustavo Fring), '80s action mainstay Carl Weathers (Predator), and the legendary director/actor Werner Herzog. Also joining the production are Supernatural's Emily Swallow and American Gods' Omid Abtahi.
Favreau is understandably psyched to be working with such a stellar ensemble. In a statement accompanying the announcement, he said, "We're having a great time working with this incredibly talented group and excited for everyone to see what we're up to."
Just what that is, however, remains largely shrouded in mystery. Practically nothing is given away by the series' official synopsis: "After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe. The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic."
What we do know is that the show promises to be visually unique, at least if Joe Russo — one half of the directing team behind some of the most mind-bending entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — is to be believed. Speaking with Collider after a visit to the set, Russo gushed that Favreau and his team are "shooting this in a way that no one has ever shot anything ever before. It's pretty astounding."
We've also been privy to the fact that the series is lining up a stable of extremely talented directors. Star Wars: The Clone Wars alum Dave Filoni will be handling the first episode, with additional entries being helmed by the likes of Rick Famuyiwa (Dope), Deborah Chow (Jessica Jones, Better Call Saul), Taiki Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok) and Bryce Dallas Howard, the talented actress who is making her first major leap to the director's chair.
With plot details being held more tightly under wraps than anything this side of an Avengers movie, Disney seems intent on letting us know that The Mandalorian is nothing less than a giant magnet for big-league talent both in front of and behind the cameras. The series — along with another spin-off focused on the character of Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and a slate of miniseries based on characters from the MCU, with the original actors reprising their roles — is expected to be a major draw for Disney+, which appears to have its sights firmly set on challenging Netflix for the streaming throne.
It remains to be seen if this is even remotely possible, especially considering that current and forthcoming services from the likes of DC, Apple, Amazon, and HBO will all be vying for a slice of the stream-pie. But as stewards of the most popular and profitable movie universes in film history, with the clout to bring original, big-budget content from those universes right into your home, one certainly can't fault the House of Mouse for mounting the challenge.
The Mandalorian is expected to premiere sometime in 2019.