‘The Mandalorian’ Finale Scrapped Pedro Pescal’s Face Because of ‘The Last of Us’

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Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) allowing Grogu to touch his face

Credit: Lucasfilm

The Mandalorian just ended its third season on Wednesday to much fanfare. Though everyone can breathe a sigh of relief to know what has happened to their favorite heroes, a new detail has surfaced about the finale. Din Djarin was meant to remove his helmet again and break The Creed, but he couldn’t because of The Last of Us.

Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as Carson Teva in The Mandalorian
Credit: Lucasfilm

Related: ‘The Mandalorian’ Makes Din Djarin a Ranger of the New Republic

Pedro Pascal might be one of the most sought-after actors currently. Apart from appearing in hit movies like The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, he is also the lead actor in two highly successful shows. Pascal has been wowing everyone with his portrayal of Din Djarin, but he also exceeded expectations as Joel in the adaptation of The Last of Us.

Though most actors often have tight and busy schedules, it was revealed that Pedro Pascal was essentially pulling double duty over the last year while filming both shows. The Mandalorian essentially filmed from July 2021 to June 2022. The Last of Us was also filmed from October 2021 to March 2022. Pascal traveled for both shows from Alberta, Canada, to Los Angeles, California.

The scheduling for how Pascal filmed for both shows was likely quite hectic. Industry insider Jeff Sneider revealed that the beloved actor only had time to be on set for a few days.

According to Sneider, “Regarding ‘The Mandalorian’ and Pedro Pascal… I’m told that Pedro Pascal’s [face] not being in ‘The Mandalorian’ was a scheduling thing… He wasn’t seen in ‘The Mandalorian’ finale. That was simply a matter of scheduling with ‘The Last of Us,’ which is in first position for him. He was on set for a couple of episodes this past season…”

The scheduling conflicts from having to film two shows simultaneously led to Pedro Pascal not showing his face in the finale. We wonder what that scene would have looked like and why Din would have removed his helmet.

Strangely, Pedro Pascal favored The Last of Us over The Mandalorian, but it could be because it’s HBO versus Lucasfilm. That does not mean that Star Wars is anything lesser than The Last of Us, but the video game adaptation could have been something new and exciting for Pascal, versus his returning for a third season of portraying Din Djarin.

There was likely also the bonus of not having to wear a helmet the entire time for The Last of Us, which made the series seem far more manageable. This is just speculation, as Pascal likely loved being on both shows.

What is most interesting about the above revelation is that it meant Din Djarin was going to break “The Creed” again, but what would have caused him to do?

Pedro Pascal Breaks “The Creed”

Actor Pedro Pascal on the front plan and 'The Mandalorian' in the background.
Credit: Inside the Magic

Related: Ending Explained: ‘The Mandalorian’ Season Three Ending

Honestly, The Mandalorian Season 2 had a much better finale, not simply because Luke Skywalker showed up. Though Grogu had not spoken, Din found a way to show him how much he cared for him. There were plenty of witnesses around when Din took off his helmet to say goodbye to his “son.” It was one of the most emotional moments in any Star Wars property.

That singular moment was the basis of the third season of the series. Din Djarin went on a quest to bathe in the waters of Mandalore to atone for the sin of willingly removing his helmet. Din spent most of the season atoning for his sin, which convinced Bo-Katan Kryze to take up the idea of ruling the Mandalorians again.

If Pedro Pascal’s Din had removed his helmet again, it would have lessened the drama unfolding in the third season. The whole reason for the character getting in trouble and redeeming himself was initially for taking off his helmet. Had he done so again, the entirety of the plot might have been ruined for the third season.

Though The Armorer blessed Bo-Katan as the leader who “walks both worlds,” doing so for Din Djarin would have also taken away from that moment for Bo-Katan. She was meant to be a new leader that bridged both worlds and tribes of Mandalorians.

Bo-Katan Darksaber Mandalorian
Credit: Lucasfilm

Related: ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3 Finale Delivers a Twist Cloning Plot, Confusing Fans

We are pretty happy that Din Djarin did not take off his helmet. Had he done so, it would have made the third season seem pointless, at least to us. Scheduling conflicts or not, Pedro Pascal’s character is far better when sticking to “The Creed.”

Did you want to see Pedro Pascal break “The Creed” in The Mandalorian Season 3 finale? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!

 

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