Jon Favreau teases what's next for Mando and Grogu after their standalone Star Wars film.
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The director and co-writer tells Entertainment Weekly he's been thinking about "what's the next step for both of them," calling their future a "wide open canvas."
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"I have a lot of notes and ideas as to where I think things might go within this small microcosm within Star Wars," he says.
This article contains spoilers forTheMandalorian and Grogu.
They survived a Dejarik battle. They took down three AT-ATs. And one of them nearly died from dragonsnake poison! So what, exactly, is next for Mando (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu after their adventurous film debut?Jon Favreaualready has some ideas.
TheMandalorian and Grogudirector and co-writer tellsEntertainment Weeklythat the galaxy's the limit when it comes to the future of the fiery bounty hunter and his Force-wielding young apprentice.
"I think about it creatively, and so for me it's like a garden or a greenhouse with all the different storylines and characters," Favreau explains. "I see opportunity in all of them, because these storylines have taken on a life of their own, and I love the progression of these characters, and I like to think forward as to what's the next step for both of them."
He describes Mando and Grogu's future as a "wide open canvas," but teases that he knows Lucasfilm president and chief creative officerDave Filonihas also been "thinking deeply and about the larger story, about how all the characters [like Ahsoka and Thrawn] all fit together, and understanding the timeframe and how it leads into the next era ofStar Wars," too.
"So I think that there's a lot of higher-order strategic decisions that Dave is making that this will fit into," Favreau says, "but from my perspective, I have a lot of notes and ideas as to where I think things might go within this small microcosm withinStar Wars."
The Mandalorianfans will remember that Favreau previously revealed thathe'd penned a fourth seasonof the Emmy-winning Disney+ series that would've helped set upthe events ofAhsokaseason 2. It was ultimately put on hold in favor of bringing Mando and Grogu to the big screen in a much more accessible storyline that could be appreciated by both new and oldStar Warsfans alike.
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The film follows Mando and Grogu as they're sent on a quest to locate Rotta the Hutt (Jeremy Allen White) and return him to his notorious crime family. But when the pair decides to let Rotta go instead, Mando is captured by the bounty hunter Embo as punishment for double-crossing the slimy galactic gangsters, prompting Grogu (and a bunch of ridiculously cute Anzellans) to set out on an adventure to rescue him.
In the end, the pair and Rotta manage to escape Nal Hutta with a little help from an X-wing-flying Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver). The trio returns to their New Republic base, where Mando and Grogu are offered a more permanent position within their ranks if they so choose.
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While the film's self-contained storyline doesn't dig into other events unfolding in the galaxy like a fourth season may have, it does feature a few familiar faces like Zeb (Steve Blum) ofStar Wars Rebelsfame. However, it stays away from other key players like Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson), Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi), and Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen).
"When we were discussing doing a fourth season of [The Mandalorian], which was put on hold, and then the idea of doing a theatrical presentation… It changed the way we approached how interconnected things should be," Favreau explains. "A fourth season of a show would have assumed that you saw three seasons previously and, frankly, everything else on Disney+. That's the nature of a serialized long-form TV story."
It's currently unclear if Favreau's original fourth season ofThe Mandalorianwill ever see the light of day now thatLucasfilm has announcedAhsokaseason 2 will premiere early next year. Regardless, it seems something big is brewing within the greaterStar Warsuniverse — and Mando and Grogu may need to buckle up for the adventure ahead.
The Mandalorian and Groguis in theaters now.
Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly