Star Wars Celebration 2019: The Mandalorian Details Shown

By: Noah Friscopp

“A wretched hive of scum and villainy.” -Obi-Wan Kenobi

New streaming service Disney+ looks to be quite the value for Star Wars fans, with three new series’ confirmed to be in the works, season 7 of the beloved animated show "The Clone Wars," a live-action series following Rogue One’s Cassian Andor and K2-S0, and the last being "The Mandalorian." This show follows the misadventures of a lone bounty hunter just trying to make a living in one of the most dangerous parts of the galaxy. The series takes place just five years after Return of the Jedi in the Outer Rim Territories of the Star Wars universe, home to some of the most dastardly foes and criminals.

What’s a Mandalorian?

In the Star Wars galaxy, the Mandalorians were feared warriors from the planet Mandalore who were famous for being strong enough to defeat Jedi Knights (or anyone else unfortunate enough to be in their way). Nobody in the galaxy wants to meet anyone wearing their famous T shaped helmet. The armor is made from a very durable metal called “beskar” that is strong enough to resist blaster fire and can last hundreds of years. Many Mandalorians used their skills to become bounty hunters.

"This armor is part of our identity. It makes us Mandalorians who we are."

―Sabine from "Star Wars Rebels"

The Talent Behind the Show

The short time after the Emperor is defeated is an interesting time period in Star Wars that has yet to be explored on the screen until now. There is a lot of potential here for the story, and a lot of familiar and new characters get to share the spotlight. Jon Favreau (who is also directing Disney’s The Lion King watch the trailer here is one of the creative people bringing this show to life, you might recognize him as Tony Stark’s assistant and drive Happy Hogan from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Along with Favreau, directors Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World), Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok[/kwlink]), Dave Filoni ("The Clone Wars", "[kwlink 30256]Rebels"), and others hope to transport us to this tale of mysterious rogues and immerse us in a story that aims to feel as real as possible.

Fun Fact: With the series not having quite the budget of a movie you would see in the theatres, the team at Lucasfilm was forced to use more practical special effects just like the ones found in the original trilogy. For example, our hero’s new ship The Razor Crest is filmed completely in the form of a 3D printed model.

Familiar Faces and New Characters

Even though the show takes place after Return of the Jedi there are a few familiar faces within the seemingly large cast of characters. The Empire might have been defeated in Jedi, but Stormtroopers are seen patrolling a couple of the areas our hero finds himself in. Princess Leia’s New Republic can only protect so many, so what remains of the Empire struggle to keep control of the few planets they can. Another fun fact: One of the directors Dave Filoni needed a lot of Stormtroopers for one of his scenes, and recruited the help of the 501st charity group who, while wearing the Empire’s signature white armor have raised almost a million dollars for charity. While they might wear the costumes of villains, the group has done a lot of real good in the name of The American Cancer Society and dozens of other charities.

A few different droids from the original trilogy of films are going to roam the various planets, including one based off of the fan-favorite character, IG-88. The new droid, IG-11, is voiced by director/actor Taika Waititi. He most recently directed Thor: Ragnorok and voiced the character Korg. He is a perfect fit for a role like this, an assassin droid with an attitude. It is nice to see some classic droids and aliens come back, especially since we haven’t seen them in the main episodes The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.

I am very excited to see what Jon Favreau and Lucasfilm has come up with in this show, I have always wanted to see a Star Wars story following a character such as this in a time period with a lot of storytelling potential as this one has. "The Mandalorian" will be available day one on Disney+ on November 12^th, 2019 just in time for The Rise of Skywalker. I am hoping for a Stan Lee style cameo from the original armored bounty hunter.

Share Your Thoughts

Are you excited for "The Mandalorian"? Who is your favorite alien or droid in Star Wars? Let us know below!