(Image credit: Lucasfilm)
Good news: for now, The Mandalorian season 2 is one of the few shows not to be delayed. In fact, filming has wrapped, post-production is continuing and we’re on track for an incredible return for Mando and The Child this October.
How incredible? Well, Boba Fett could be back, for starters. Throw in the live-action debut of The Clone Wars’ Ahsoka Tano, confirmation of lightsabers, and some of the best directors on the planet coming together to bring it all to Disney Plus and you’re looking at one of the TV highlights of the year.
But we’ve gone beyond just the headline news. We’ve dug through hours of interviews, pages upon pages of articles, and even some exclusives from sister publication Total Film to bring you the definitive guide to The Mandalorian season 2, the story leading up to its return, and what to expect next. The Way to knowledge is down below…
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More details about Ahsoka’s role in The Mandalorian season 2 emerge
(Image credit: Lucasfilm)
A new report might have lifted the lid on some of what Ahsoka will be doing (and will look like) in The Mandalorian season 2.
Star Wars News Net, which has a fair track record with these types of scoops, has revealed that Ahsoka will be wielding a lightsaber this season and may even face down some of the remnants of the Empire that are still scattered across the galaxy and will eventually morph into the First Order. But unlike her Rebels appearance, clad in all white, the character (set to be played by Rosario Dawson) will wear a grey hood, perhaps a nod to her return to the side of the Jedi.
Timothy Olyphant cast in The Mandalorian season 2, but who’s he playing?
(Image credit: FX)
Dust off your best ten-gallon hats. Timothy Olyphant is joining The Mandalorian season 2.
The Hollywood Reporter states the Justified star will appear, though it’s not yet officially known if it’s as a wholly original character or as one from Star Wars past.
Slash Film clears things up a bit in a report that says Olyphant is playing Cobb Vanth, a character introduced in Star Wars novels as the self-appointed sheriff of Tattooine’s Freetown. In The Mandalorian season 2, he will be wearing Boba Fett’s legendary armour.
The news is undoubtedly a coup for the Disney Plus series, as Olyphant has a history of playing rugged gunslingers that will fit right in with Mando’s Western vibe.
Boba Fett will reportedly appear in The Mandalorian season 2
(Image credit: Disney)
Sarlacc pits be damned. Boba Fett has seemingly blasted his way out of his Return of the Jedi predicament and will be jetpacking his way into the second season. That is, according to a report from THR suggests it will only be a “small role.” It’s unknown yet how he will factor into the events of the series, but he joins the likes of Ahsoka Tano in terms of new faces this year.
The Mandalorian season 2 release date set for October 2020
(Image credit: Lucasfilm)
The Mandalorian season 2 release date has been confirmed as October 2020 by then-Disney CEO Bob Iger, who announced the news during an investor call.
While we don’t have an exact Mandalorian season 2 release date yet beyond October, we can take an educated guess. As original Disney Plus series almost always release on Fridays, including The Mandalorian last year and The Clone Wars season 7 throughout early 2020, we’d expect it to be the same again this time. That means season 2 should return on one the following dates:
- October 2, 2020
- October 9, 2020
- October 16, 2020
- October 23, 2020
- October 30, 2020
As with all Disney Plus series, we can once again expect The Mandalorian season 2 to be released weekly.
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The Mandalorian season 2 cast
(Image credit: Warner Bros/Disney)
The Mandalorian season 2 cast hasn’t all been officially announced – but we’d eat our Beskar-lined hats if Pedro Pascal isn’t back as The Mandalorian, real name Din Djarin. Cara Dune (Gina Carano), while Karga (Carl Weathers), and the Darksaber-wielding Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) are also all expected to return.
That quartet could be joined by some familiar faces in the Star Wars universe. Deadline reports that “insiders have hinted that several established characters from the Skywalker Saga’s feature films mythology will make appearances.” That could include Temuera Morrison as Boba Fett.
While we still have no official confirmation, one established character from the wider Star Wars mythos, Clone Wars stalwart Ahsoka Tano, will make the leap to live-action. Rosario Dawson, known to many for playing Night Nurse in the Netflix Marvel shows, will appear as the character. However, she’s keeping schtum, telling Variety “That’s not confirmed yet but when that happens, I will be very happy. I’m very excited for that to be confirmed at some point.”
We also have word that sci-fi legend Michael Biehn, who starred as Kyle Reese in the original Terminator and appeared in Aliens, is gearing up for The Mandalorian season 2. He’s set to play a bounty hunter with ties to Mando’s past, while Timothy Olyphant is also joining the cast.
Horror icon Jamie Lee Curtis, meanwhile, has reportedly been spotted on set, though we can file this one firmly away under ‘rumour’ for now.
One potential person who could appear in the series is Janina Gavankar, who played protagonist Iden Versio in the canon video game Star Wars Battlefront II. Asked on Twitter whether she could reprise the role in live-action by a fan, she answered: “You’ll have to ask Mr. Dave Filoni.” Filoni, who directed the very first episode of The Mandalorian, has not responded to the rumours at this point.
Another intriguing cast rumour comes in the shape of a whisper from the Mat Men Pro Wrestling Podcast. WWE Superstar Sasha Banks (real name Mercedes Kaestner-Varnardo) has been linked to an unknown role. Don’t expect her to lay the smackdown in a galaxy far, far away just yet, however. It’s something the host has been unable to “100% confirm”
Oh, and don’t worry, Baby Yoda will also be back. They have to make use of the $5 million prop somehow.
The Mandalorian season 2 directors
(Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney)
The first season of The Mandalorian had a murderer’s row of talented directors, each bringing their own unique vision to the show.
Dave Filoni (integral to much of Star Wars’ wider television success in the likes of The Clone Wars), Rick Famuyiwa, Deborah Chow (who will direct the Obi-Wan Disney Plus series), Bryce Dallas Howard, and Taika Waititi all helmed episodes. Season 2 is off to a similarly strong start in terms of personnel as show co-creator Jon Favreau will step into the director’s chair for at least one episode, while Carl Weathers was also confirmed as a director back in October.
One of the directors on Season 2 of #TheMandalorian will be @TheCarlWeathers! When he calls “Action!” I don’t know how anyone on set could resist answering “Jackson!” pic.twitter.com/PafyPfbl5aOctober 19, 2019
Ant-Man’s Peyton Reed and Robert Rodriguez have confirmed they are helming episodes of The Mandalorian season 2, while Bryce Dallas Howard told Collider that she will also be directing another episode. With five directors confirmed, the same total as the first season, that could be it for director announcements for season 2.
The Mandalorian season 2 story
(Image credit: Lucasfilm)
As is The Way with all things Star Wars, plot details for The Mandalorian season 2 are being kept tightly under wraps. However, we can make a few educated guesses when taking into account both the season 1 finale and tidbits from recent interviews.
First, the season finale: Mando has managed to escape the clutches of Moff Gideon and head off-world with Baby Yoda – officially known as The Child – in tow. He has been tasked with raising the mysterious creature as his own and in the ways of the Mandalorian code. Gideon, meanwhile, may have been forced into a crash landing by The Mandalorian, but did get a chance to show off his lightsaber, the Darksaber. Gideon used the weapon to cut loose from his ship’s wreckage and is probably going to be out for revenge. Gideon also still has his eyes on The Child for reasons that are as yet unknown.
Season 2 will surely follow the path set by episode 7, with Gideon hot on Mando’s tail at every turn. Expect some more Force powers on show, too, if Baby Yoda gets a chance to develop his skills under Mando’s guidance. Speaking to /Film, Gideon actor Giancarlo Esposito says he “mostly certainly” has a larger role to play in The Mandalorian season 2 after his brief stint at the tail-end of last season. That even includes another scene with Baby Yoda.
Elsewhere, we’ll definitely be digging deep into Greef’s history. He told sister publication SFX, “I think [Greef’s backstory] is more saved for season 2.”
Another mystery could also be unravelled later this year: who is Baby Yoda? Well, we now know for sure he has another name. Taika Waititi reveals that “He’s not named Baby Yoda! I’ll wait for [Jon] Favreau to give that away.”
Waititi’s best guess is… Nigel. Because of course it is.
I think it’s Nigel. https://t.co/SWw6Z3RllRJanuary 6, 2020
The Mandalorian season 2 set photos
(Image credit: Jon Favreau)
Taking to Instagram late last year, Jon Favreau gave us a glimpse of the production for the second season. Later, on Star Wars Day, directors Peyton Reed and Robert Rodriguez both gave us new looks from the set of The Mandalorian season 2.
I am truly humbled to say I have now had the very rare privilege of directing the biggest star in the universe. @StarWars #TheMandalorian #MayThe4th #StarWarsDay pic.twitter.com/pcmzOHfgaWMay 5, 2020
#MayThe4thBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/XUk5Xfs0JEMay 4, 2020
Ok, they don’t reveal much – just two shots of Mando’s squeaky-clean helmet and a glimpse at Baby Yoda – but the dusty background of Favreau’s photo (and rock on which the helmet is placed) definitely evokes the planet of Navarro, the setting for much of the first season of The Mandalorian. If so, that could clue us in as to where part of the season takes place.
The Mandalorian season 2 theories
(Image credit: Lucasfilm)
With very little information readily available on the series, we’ll have to find solace in some Mandalorian theories. Sure, some of those on the web are wild and unlikely – but that’s what makes them so entertaining. Here are a couple of our favourites so far.
The aptly-named Backpacks-got-jets on Reddit has made the (convincing) case for Boba Fett showing up in the future. The most famous Mandalore of them all could still be alive and kicking post-Return of the Jedi despite his slip into the Sarlaac Pit – and the fact his ultimate fate hasn’t been mentioned by his own clan indicates that he may still be out there. We can but hope.
Another Mandalorian theory involves the Darksaber. The weapon has a rich history away from the mainline movies, including several appearances in The Clone Wars. The last known user of the Darksaber (before Moff Gideon) was the Mandalorian Bo-Katan. We haven’t found out how Gideon got hold of the Darksaber – but The Mandalorian season 2 could fill us in on both that and what happened to Bo-Katan, and several on Reddit agree.
One theory that won’t be making its way into season 2, though, is the idea that Baby Yoda is actually, inexplicably, Yoda. Jon Favreau told USA Today: “This takes place after Return of the Jedi. The fans of the original trilogy will remember that Yoda not only passes away but actually disappears. So Yoda exists as a Force Ghost. But this Baby Yoda character is called Baby Yoda by most people because there’s no name for the Yoda species.”
The Mandalorian season 2 trailer
(Image credit: Disney)
No, you haven’t missed a secret Mandalorian season 2 trailer. But we can perhaps expect one in mid-2020 as the Fall release date approaches, especially with the amount of coronavirus delays currently sweeping the industry. We’ll update this section with any and all trailers, teasers and TV spots as we get them.
GamesRadar+’s Entertainment Writer. Lover of all things Nintendo, in a tortured love/hate relationship with Crystal Palace, and also possesses an unhealthy knowledge of The Simpsons (which is of no use at parties).