Credit: GimbioIf you are a Star Wars fan, you have likely already blasted through the first two seasons of The Mandalorian on Disney+. Aside from being lead by the brilliant team of creator Jon Favreau and executive producer Dave Filoni, there is one other person who helps to helm the ship — in this case, before its destruction, the Razor Crest — and that is actor Pedro Pascal.
Pascal plays title Mandalorian Din Djarin, who fans have come to love over 16 episodes of the hit series. Now, Pascal has shared that he never wants it to end.
Aside from being the Mandalorian in the Star Wars spinoff series, Pascal is very well-known for other work, too. He starred as Oberyn Martell in the hit series Game of Thrones, Javier Peña in Netflix’s popular Narcos, and has now entered the DC Comics realm with the newly released Wonder Woman 1984 where he plays Maxwell Lord. Pascal has had quite the acting career — but it seems that it’s Star Wars fans who are giving him the most love.
The first time Pedro was ever introduced to Star Wars fans was at Star Wars Celebration in Chicago after the cast of The Mandalorian was first announced. During an interview with Entertainment Tonight, he said, “I remember stepping out onto that stage and it was like being on the receiving end of a jet. It was just awash of like cheer and I thought, ‘I could get used to this.'”
Pedro was able to feel and see the excitement and support from his fans, prior to them seeing what he could do as the Mandalorian, and what he was going to bring to the show. For an actor who used to not get recognized on the train in New York to walk into a room of fans who are so trusting in his craft, it truly is the dream. It’s easy to understand why Pascal would never want to give it up.
If you want to watch the full interview of Pedro Pascal talking all things Mandalorian, Grogu (AKA The Child AKA Baby Yoda), and Wonder Woman — check it out below.
Related: Why the ‘Slow Burn’ For Din Djarin to Remove His Helmet Matters So Much
That being said, for someone who is so thankful for the love and spotlight fans have shown him, Pascal will always put the story above all else. Although Pedro plays The Mandalorian’s main character, he also gets the least “face time” on camera. Because of Djarin’s association with the Children of the Watch — a Mandalorian sect that never removes their beskar helmets in front of another living being — he wears his Mandalorian armor at nearly all times.
This means that Pedro has rarely been able to show off the full range of his acting chops on the show, but has accepted that fate in order to tell the story properly and make the best show possible. It does, however, allow for Pascal to blow us away during the few — but still crucial — moments when we can see Din helmet-less.
Throughout Season 2, Djarin questioned what it really means to be a Mandalorian and, as a result, removed his helmet on two occasions while on a quest to rescue Grogu. It is possible that we’ll see more maskless Pascal in the future.
Related: ‘The Mandalorian’ Is ‘So Much Bigger Than All of Us’
What is next for Pedro Pascal in The Mandalorian?
In the season finale of The Mandalorian Season 2, Episode 8 (Chapter 16: The Rescue), we see Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), Cara Dune (Gina Carano), Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison), Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen), Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff), and her Nite Owl warrior Koska Reeves (Mercedes Varnado) defeat Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito), rescuing Grogu from the Imperial ship. Din completes his mission of returning the foundling to his rightful place with the Jedi, as Luke Skywalker (CGI Mark Hamill) enters the ship with a decimating guest star performance before arriving to collect Grogu for his Jedi training.
Aside from the touching father-son goodbye between Din and Grogu (that we truly hope is not the end for the pairing), it will be interesting to see how The Mandalorian Season 3 plot unfolds — including who is going to be titled the true ruler of New Mandalore. As you may recall, Bo-Katan’s request for helping Din rescue Grogu was to take hold of the ship, be the one to kill Moff Gideon, and earn back the Darksaber — and, as a result, title as leader of Mandalore.
However, because Din himself earned the black-bladed Darksaber in combat, he is now the rightful owner — and de facto ruler of Mandalore — no matter how much he wants to pass-off ownership to Bo-Katan.
Related: Don’t Be Surprised If Ahsoka Tano and Obi-Wan Kenobi Meet Soon
At this time, there is no official release date for The Mandalorian Season 3 and it does not appear on Disney’s official 2021 release schedule.
What do you think will happen to Din Djarin next season? Are you a fan of Pedro Pascal as The Mandalorian?