In recent months, the COVID-19 vaccine has been a hot-button topic, particularly in the United States where discussions about vaccine mandates at theme parks — like Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort — and on film and movie sets remain ongoing.
With the long-awaited The Mandalorian Season 3 officially in production at The Volume soundstage, one of the show’s stars, Giancarlo Esposito (Moff Gideon) has shared his stance on actors who won’t get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, and he’s not holding back.
“If you don’t want to vaccinate, go to a small island and sequester yourself,” The Mandalorian and Better Call Saul actor says. “[Otherwise] you’re saying ‘F*** you’ to all you other human beings. We all have to do it if we want to live. I don’t understand how people don’t vaccinate. For me, I’ve lost dear friends, so I know it’s real. Not only in Europe but in America, friends who were completely healthy and uncompromised. The vaccine is the answer. I’m not downing anyone who doesn’t want to vaccinate. Don’t work. Go ride it out somewhere where you’re not going to compromise anyone else if you get it.”
Gideon’s statement is especially intriguing given that his fellow Mandalorian star, Gina Carano (New Republic Marshal Cara Dune) was fired by Lucasfilm and The Walt Disney Company in February 2021 following a series of controversial Tweets, largely related to her social and political opinions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think Disney is a wonderful institution. And sometimes things happen where people speak out – and Star Wars is a great example of that – where people want to speak out politically […] Not that I want to always please the fans or the studio but there’s an appropriate way to express yourself and also be inclusive of the family of filmmakers you work with.”
“I would hope that [Disney] will always support what their stars say, but they have to be careful because if there’s vehement language connected to that…”
More on The Mandalorian
As for what’s next for Esposito’s character in The Mandalorian saga, it is likely that the Darksaber storyline will continue to play a key role in his arc.
Credit: Lucasfilm
In the epic Season 2 finale episode — which also saw the return of Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker (CGI Mark Hamill) and the announcement of The Book of Boba Fett spinoff series — Djarin won the black-bladed ancient Mandalorian weapon in a battle to free Grogu (AKA “Baby Yoda”) from Gideon and his Dark Trooper squad onboard the Moff’s Imperial cruiser.
Now that he wields the storied saber, Djarin is the de facto ruler of planet Mandalore, meaning both Gideon and Kryze want the special lightsaber back for themselves — Gideon for nefarious reasons and Kryze to avenge the death of her sister, Duchess Satine, at the hands of Darth Maul.
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Credit: Lucasfilm
