Pedro Pascal, Carl Weathers, Giancarlo Esposito and more cast members talk to ET about the upcoming episodes.
Much to the delight of fans, Din Djarin and Grogu are back together in season 3 of The Mandalorian, which returns to Disney+ on March 1, 2023.
Earlier in the year, while celebrating the series’ success at Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, California, Pedro Pascal, Carl Weathers, Giancarlo Esposito and more cast members spoke with ET about what’s to come from the anticipated new episodes as the Star Wars spinoff continues to follow the titular bounty hunter and his young companion.
“Three is even better than the previous one,” Pascal said of the upcoming installment of the series, teasing, “It’s safe to say that you’re going to love it.”
Echoing that sentiment, Weathers said season 3 is “fuller” and has “a lot more heft.” “It’s so dense with so much action but also character,” he added. For Katee Sackhoff, who reprises her role as Bo-Katan Kryze, the word to describe the vibe of the season is “dark.”
Not only that, but the scope of the new episodes are going to be “larger than ever… and it’s just an expansion, in many ways, of last season,” Esposito said. And given that executive producer Jon Favreau is already at work writing season 4, “It’s a season that has great ideas, great teasings and great tips for the future,” the actor teased.
Din Djarin (aka The Mandalorian) and Grogu
Since Djarin first discovered the Child in an encampment at the end of the premiere episode of the series, the unlikely pair has gone on a number of adventures together while also being chased down by members of the former Galactic Empire, who want to experiment on the Force-sensitive creature. Not only that, but many associates of the Mandalorian have insisted that Grogu is better left with the Jedi, who will train and protect him.
Despite being turned over to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Grogu chooses to be with Djarin instead of learning under the Jedi Master. Meanwhile, the Mandalorian finds himself facing an identity crisis after taking off his helmet in front of other people and disobeying the way of his more devout people. The duo was last seen reunited at the end of The Book of Boba Fett, taking flight in a N-1 starfighter.
Reflecting on how Djarin and Grogu’s relationship will evolve in season 3, Pascal said, “What I love is the idea of who’s protecting who because Grogu is discovering more and more of his powers. And it’s very important for Mando to nurture it and to also make sure it’s harnessed in the right way.”
Greef Karga
After first being commissioning Djarin in season 1, the Guild leader eventually becomes one of the Mandalorian’s allies and helps protect Grogu from being taken by Moff Gideon (Esposito). In season 2, Karga is seen again as magistrate of Nevarro, where he once again comes to the aid of the Mandalorian and Grogu as they continue to be chased down by Gideon.
When it comes to season 3 and reprising his role as Kargo onscreen, Weathers said the new episodes “had a lot more opportunity for depth. Each of these characters has so much story within their own personal story.”
And as a director, once again helming another episode of the series, Weathers had fun “digging” even deeper into the story and characters. “As an audience, you get to see just little glimmers of things that we didn’t realize about them,” he said of getting to slow things down and “play with some of that stuff.”
Moff Gideon
After attempting to hunt down Grogu in seasons 1 and 2, the Darksaber-wielding Imperial adversary nearly succeeds in capturing the Child once and for all when he briefly manages to get him away from Mandalorian. However, it’s not long before Djarin, who is backed by Kryze and her team of fighters, catches up to Gideon and takes back the Child.
Djarin eventually confronts Gideon aboard an Imperial shuttle, where he also gains possession of the Darksaber. After Skywalker emerges, Gideon then attempts to kill himself. However, before he can go through with it, he is stopped and later taken into custody by the New Republic to be tried for his crimes.
“Yes, it’s assumed he is behind bars. I think we could have an opportunity to see him escape those chains that bind him,” Esposito said of Gideon’s current whereabouts, teasing that he’s not just sitting idly by. “We want to see a guy who is a mastermind who has an idea for the future that no one else has. And so, we want to know what that is and we want to know if that’s good or bad.”
The actor added, “I keep holding onto this idea that he really wants to save this galaxy. Of course, everyone does. But everyone assumes he just wants to control it. So, let’s find out if that’s true or not.”
The Armorer
Played by Emily Swallow, the Armorer has quickly become a fan favorite, especially thanks to her now iconic phrase, “This is the way.” Over the course of the first two seasons, audiences have seen her character grow from a spiritual leader of devout Mandalorian warriors who has urged Djarin to reunite Grogu with his own kind to someone who has helped him find his own along the way.
“We have seen her guide Mando but also he has surprised her and she’s rolled with that and she’s been open to seeing where he leads her,” Swallow said of the character, who was initially cautious of Grogu being half Jedi, half Mandalorian.
And as the series has progressed, “[Mando] has brought these surprises her way that she’s open to. And so, I think we’ll continue to see as he makes discoveries on this journey that she’s open to seeing what she learns from that,” said the actress, who describes season 3 as “tumultuous” in tone.
Bo-Katan Kryze
After making her live-action debut as Kryze on The Mandalorian, it was confirmed that Sackhoff will reprise the role that she has long voiced on the animated series The Clone Wars, in season 3 of the hit series. “I’m just excited to see what she’s up to,” she teased.
And based on the teaser footage exclusively shown at Star Wars Celebration, it’s clear Kryze and Djarin have a lot of unfinished business to attend to. Not only that, but Kryze is on her own journey, as the world around Mandalorian continues to expand in the new episodes.
“She’s not done,” Sackhoff said, noting that because Kryze didn’t accept the Darksaber at the end of season 2, “makes us question, it makes her question, ‘What’s different? Why not now?’ And that’s important.”
“She’s still on that journey, you know, from the first time that we met her when she was very young and impressionable,” the actress continues. “And she’s been continuing to evolve and grow and figure out who she is.”
Boba Fett
In season 2 of The Mandalorian, fans were rewarded with the long-awaited return of Boba Fett, with Temuera Morrison returning to the role after taking previously playing his father, Jango Fett, in the prequel films. Fett then goes on his own, parallel journey after teaming up with the mercenary Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) in the spinoff The Book of Boba Fett. While the future of that series remains uncertain, Fett is now in control of Jabba's criminal empire on Tatooine and hopes to establish a new order on the planet ravaged by the spice trade.
Given that the character’s story is seemingly unfinished, Morrison said, “We’ve got to bring him back somewhere. We’ve got to see the old Boba Fett.”
“We reintroduced him. We found out some stuff. But I think it’s time to get him back to his badass ways. No two ways around that,” the actor said, hopeful that Fett could return in some fashion. “So, I think we sort of have that scope to go back there, but that’s out of my control. I’ll just see what happens.”
The Mandalorian season 3 premieres March 1, 2023 on Disney+.
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