The Mandalorian spoilers follow.
Disney doesn't do things by halves, and after the finale of The Mandalorian season two, fans are now desperate to hear more about what lies ahead for the series.
At least we know season three is on its way, and for fans of Mando and his loveable muppet companion, this is very good news indeed - now it's just a case of waiting for it.
While there's a consistent stream of Star Wars spin-offs also being released, with Andor and Obi-Wan Kenobi already available, and Ahsoka on the way too, The Mandalorian still remains one of the firm favourites in the galaxy.
Here's everything you need to know about The Mandalorian season three.
The Mandalorian season 3 release date: When will it return on Disney+?
Disney has finally announced a release date of March 1, 2023.
The announcement finally put to bed a lot of speculation about when it could be, with February being the assumed month of release for some time before the official announcement.
Even the cast weren't entirely sure.
Giancarlo Esposito, who plays Moff Gideon, said in 2022 on The Rich Eisen Show: "You'll get it as quickly as possible.
"I have a few more things to complete in order to put the finishing touches on my work. But I believe it will happen this summer. There is no specific date yet, but it will be announced soon.” (As it has indeed been. So yay!)
You can understand their uncertainty – not only do the cast rarely get told this stuff, even when they do they're not allowed to talk about it, and even *then*, in some cases, they don't even end up making the show they thought they were making, as was the case for Ming-Na Wen.
The Mandalorian season 3 trailer: When can we see a promo?
Here it is, friends: the trailer for season three.
It promises a lot of Grogu action (literally, judging by the beast he Force-throws out of a cave) and a storyline centred on Mandalore, the spiritual home of Din Djarin and his fellow helmet-wearing warrior knights.
As predicted, it's likely to involve clashes with Katee Sackhoff's returning Bo-Katan Kryze, who sees possession of the Darksaber (and leadership of Mandalore) as her Force-given right.
"Our people are scattered," Din Djarin says in voiceover, "like stars in the galaxy… What are we? What do we stand for?" If that doesn't sound like someone making a bid for leadership, we don't know what does.
Also in the trailer: a returning Peli Motto (Amy Sedaris) and what appears to be a whole batch of Jedi, judging by the lightsabers, though before you get excited, it looks like it's just a flashback to the Order 66 slaughter.
The trailer also features a character who looks very much like The Rise of Skywalker's micro-sized engineering genius Babu Frik – possibly a relative if not the actual Frik. Shirley Henderson, who voiced Frik, doesn't have The Mandalorian listed among her credits… yet.
The Mandalorian season 3 cast: Who will be in it?
Disney previously confirmed Pedro Pascal will be back as Din Djarin, the titular Mandalorian on whom the entire series is based (presumably with help from stunt doubles Barry Lowin, Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder).
Pascal's stunt double Brendan Wayne confirmed this in an Instagram post following the season two finale, writing: "No spoilers!!! But just in case the world didn't know yet Pedro Pascal is incredible. The journey they wrote for him this season was so beautiful. The fact that Pedro went beyond the page and made this epic. Thank you Pedro Pascal."
And he added: "Yes!! Pedro is coming back. There was never any question. DO NOT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ."
Baby Yoda (yeah, Grogu, whatever) will also be back for more adventures throughout the universe, which is a relief considering he is very in demand at the moment! Glad they could lock in that contract.
One major return that's been confirmed is Katee Sackhoff, who plays Bo-Katan Kryze. Speaking at the announcement panel during the Star Wars celebration, she stated the character has "unfinished business".
This ominous warning could hint at conflict between Bo-Katan and former ally Din Djarin over possession of the Darksaber, as hinted at in the trailer.
"There is such a wealth of story to pull from. I don't write the show so I don't know if we're going to see any of that," Sackhoff said (via Collider).
"Bo had a very clear goal last season, and she didn't take the Darksaber. I think that surprised a lot of people. So, obviously, she is second-guessing herself."
And it sounds like we'll potentially be spending some time in the Mines of Mandalore. "Seeing Mandalore again was something that, as a person who loves this character, the weight of that was not lost on me," Sackhoff continued.
Interestingly, when Digital Spy chatted to Ming-Na Wen, who plays Fennec Shand, about her character's involvement in the third chapter, there was some doubt there.
"I don't know. You'll probably find out before I do. You guys have your feelers out on everything," she said. "I mean, come on, I didn't even know I was shooting The Book of Boba Fett, so you're asking the wrong person."
Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) will play a bigger part in season three, the actor has confirmed – and will be more menacing than ever.
He told Metro: "He is that uber villain who is all-powerful and who knows all about the technology and all these other things. So suffice to say, you will see Moff again… and soon."
Other possible returnees include Greef Karga (Carl Weathers, confirmed) and Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson).
One character who definitely won't be returning is Cara Dune. Since filming the first two seasons, Gina Carano has been let go from The Mandalorian after sharing offensive posts on social media. You can read more about that right here.
"I don't really see Disney as characterising itself as left-leaning or right-leaning, yet instead of standing for values," said Disney CEO Bob Chapek during Disney's investor call (via The Hollywood Reporter) when criticised by one caller following Carano's sacking.
"Values that are universal. Values of respect. Values of decency. Values of integrity and values of inclusion."
Carano was also dropped by her representation at the time, United Talent Agency.
Now that The Mandalorian is building more connections with a galaxy far, far away, don't be surprised if more guest stars appear in season three, particularly those familiar with the Force. Maybe young Luke Skywalker (a deepfaked CGI creation in The Book of Boba Fett, even featuring a digitally-created, de-aged voice) will even stop by again?
Oh, and don't be surprised if the supremely talented Bryce Dallas Howard returns to direct another instalment in season three (she's already got her hand back in making The Book of Boba Fett episode five). Check out her thoughts on evil Baby Yoda here, and what she thinks of season two's biggest criticism here.
Asked about the diversity on the show, Weathers confirmed one of season three’s directors (via StarWarsNewsNet).
"Obviously we've got Rick [Famuyiwa], who's here, who is behind the camera and an executive producer on our show, you know, who directed me on a couple of episodes of The Mandalorian this season… And I'm a huge fan."
The Mandalorian season 3 plot: What will the third season be about?
The end of season two felt like a pretty final point in The Mandalorian, leaving a lot of speculation as to what will happen in season three.
Initially, it was believed the post-credits scene might have been included to set up a whole new story revolving around Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) and Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen). Well it did: but it was The Book of Boba Fett. Not strictly a Mandalorian storyline per se, so much as a spin-off taking place alongside the Mandalorian arc.
Fans who are all caught up with The Book of Boba Fett already know the deal, but in case you missed this juicy tidbit, here it is: the final episodes of Boba Fett set up the premise for the next season of The Mandalorian as Din and Grogu were reunited and, in the final scene, flew away together.
So the story we then thought would open up The Mandalorian season three (the reunion of Mando and Grogu) has now happened in Boba Fett. (We've done a deep dive for you here.)
Which is something of a relief. The very premise of the show looked in danger when Grogu and Mando were pulled apart. We truly thank the maker that they’re back together again, and it sounds like Pascal does too.
"It was scary, wasn't it? To be separated like that," Pascal said (via Empire). "Jon [Favreau] and Dave [Filoni, showrunners] called me, and they told me that they would be bridging seasons two and three with The Book of Boba Fett, as far as Mandalorian and Grogu were concerned. I just thought that was brilliant.
"What I didn't expect is such a beautiful, lonely episode that Bryce Dallas Howard directed so incredibly. And also, for the reunion to be precious, but also just quite sudden and natural."
Speaking to People, Giancarlo Esposito has also hinted at what's in store during The Mandalorian season three, saying: "We're living in a universe that is huge and [that has] so much to explore.
"So I think this show is going to start to lay the groundwork for the depth and breadth that's going to come in season three and season four, where you're really gonna start to get answers."
Bryce Dallas Howard, who directed season two episode 'The Heiress', chatted to Digital Spy about the show's willingness to explore the wider universe and include elements that a more casual Star Wars fan might not be familiar with.
"I think it's a really fine balance, of course," she said. "As an actor, I'm familiar with those kind of questions because, for example, with working in the Jurassic franchise, it's like, 'OK, we can have fun with some deep cuts for the fans but, at the end of the day, it's about a good story, well told'."
"'What is that balance? How might something that has been established in The Lost World or whatnot play a factor into the storytelling for Jurassic World: Dominion?'"
She added: "If you're telling a story that is a biopic and there's a bunch of smaller characters – but you can go and read about all of them, because they existed, and their lives are well-documented and whatnot – it's only going to better inform the biopic that's centring on the one character.
"Because you will have these fully-fleshed-out other characters that, even though it's not centring on them, they're a part of the narrative."
These quotes make a lot more sense now we know three new spin-off shows are coming our way.
Rangers of the New Republic, Ahsoka and The Book of Boba Fett are set during the same timeline as The Mandalorian, so don't be surprised when they connect (as BoBF already has) to the main show in some capacity. In fact, season three may set them all up directly.
While we don't know much yet about Rangers of the New Republic, the Ahsoka spin-off was pretty much a given already following the character's live-action debut in The Mandalorian season two. And Boba's solo venture is already out there, of course.
"The exciting part about Mandalorian is that it started with this very simple and sort of elemental relationship when the Mandalorian met this young child and how it’s affected him," director and executive producer Rick Famuyiwa said (via StarWarsNewsNet).
"And I think all the decisions he’s made since coming in contact with The Child has sort of raised the stakes in terms of the storytelling of the show, and we’ve just been following that to sort of its natural place as he’s experienced meeting people outside of his own creed and understanding what it means to be a Mandalorian."
"So as we get to season three, it’s really a sort of culmination of that. We’ve started with our original Mandalorian but as the teaser said, he’s not the only one. And what does that mean? So this season is really about kind of bringing all that together."
Whatever happens, you can expect a mix of genres.
"Oh there was a bit more [action], I think, in this one," Carl Weathers told Empire (via The Nerd Stash).
"Even though they're different episodes, it's not like typical episodic television," he continued. "It's not a whodunnit, it's not a dark comedy, it's not a procedural. It's so many different things, and it's action-adventure on top of that. As a director, you get a chance to exercise your talent, and also your ability to deliver in those different areas."
We could even see the galaxy far, far away's best possible Mando guest appearance in season three – though there's a chance Favreau will save it for season IV.
"George. George Lucas. That would be the best cameo. He'd have to be the son of Baron Papanoida or something like that. I don't know. I wouldn't even speculate on that. It's hard for me to imagine what that day would be like," Favreau said (via Entertainment Weekly).
Favreau also revealed (via Disney+ Informer) that the third season will be centred around Mandalore, with the Mandalorian's homeworld being a significant location.
"We established in The Book of Boba Fett that there was an opportunity for the Mandalorian to be redeemed, because he had transgressed against the creed by removing his helmet. And among his group of Mandalorians that is something that is not permitted. Now, we know that there are other groups of Mandalorians that have different sets of rules.
"In The Clone Wars, we saw with Dave and also with a character that I voiced, that Mandalorians are very different there. So these different groups are coming together and we are gonna figure out how they all… The nexus point for all of those communities of course is their homeworld from which they are exiled, which is Mandalore."
Meanwhile, Giancarlo Esposito has been teasing some cool dark side stuff (via SFGazette).
According to the actor, Moff Gideon's wardenship was part of an overall attempt by the Empire to maintain order in different parts of the galaxy after their rule collapsed.
According to Esposito, "when everything falls apart, and you have no leadership, and everything is just crumbling, we all would want someone to stand up and have some kind of vision for how to be about all of us".
Gideon has his territory, and is running it as cruelly as he possibly can, but he looks around him and sees that other wardens aren't up to his standard. "[They] aren't really as strong and powerful as him. He gets a taste of, 'Oh, I can straighten all this out.'"
Gideon has become "drunk with the idea that his vision is better".
That sounds like a perfect starting point for a very exciting season-three arc to us!
Whatever happens, expect season three to be bigger than ever.
The Mandalorian seasons 1 and 2, The Book of Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi are available to stream now on Disney+.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and the entire Skywalker Saga are available on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K now, as well as on Disney+, while The Rise of Skywalker is also on Sky Cinema Premiere and NOW.
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