Latest Episode of ‘The Mandalorian’ Shows What Kind of Cameos ‘Star Wars’ Really Needs

The Mandalorian has already taught the fanbase many things…

The latest episode of The Mandalorian represented an…interesting tone shift for the acclaimed series. Audiences were introduced to a bit of a more fanciful, almost goofy episode of The Mandalorian, complete with comedic actors, pop stars, a droid bar, and even the comedic battle droid humor from Star Wars: The Clone Wars. It’s certainly not the first time A-listers have made appearances on Star Wars, but what made this different?

Related: Tom Holland Has A Bizarre Connection With ‘The Mandalorian’

Perhaps it was their prominence? When Daniel Craig, Tom Hardy, and Joseph Gordon-Leavitt took part in the Sequel Trilogy, that may have been quite distracting. Seeing James Bond (Craig), Bane (Hardy), or Arthur (Leavitt) from Inception (2010) would have really pulled audiences out of the story and thrown them into cameo-hunting mode. Cameos from either actors or recognizable characters aren’t going to stop, though, so how can Lucasfilm do them right moving forward?

What Can Cameos Do For ‘Star Wars’?

Cameos can and do contribute to Star Wars and have for years. These include not only the A-listers but also familiar characters. There are few fans who would disagree that Luke Skywalker’s (Mark Hamill) appearance at the climax of Season 2 of The Mandalorian was one of the best moments in the series and even the franchise. His appearance contributed in a meaningful way and helped drive the plot forward.

Inside the Magic has already covered cameos by Dave Filoni characters like Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson), Cad Bane (Corey Burton), and others which, in many ways, were just as meaningful to the plot and story of The Mandalorian, and in many ways were just fan service. For example, how is it that the same dozen people keep meeting in the Star Wars Galaxy even though there are billions more people to meet?

That being said, these cameos do serve to unite the three eras of the Skywalker Saga: the Prequel Era, the Original Trilogy, and the Sequel Era are all united by tidbits, appearances, and, yes, cameos by characters, plot devices, props and more from each era, so why was the last episode of The Mandalorian so jarring?

Part of it was the recognition and reputation of stars like Jack Black and Lizzo. Could anyone really see Black as an Imperial Officer? Though Lizzo played her part with grace and aplomb, many viewers found it difficult to disconnect her from her onstage persona and performance. Christopher Lloyd also played his role well as the former separatist turned security agent, but again, with his distinctive voice and personality, it was difficult not to see Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) in Star Wars.

How Could Lucasfilm Improve These Appearances?

We’ve already mentioned one way in which Lucasfilm could easily make these appearances a bit more natural and, less abrupt, less distracting. Including big names and personalities goes over much smoother when done like Daniel Craig or Tom Hardy. Hide their face, and don’t make them a prominent part of the plot unless they are the lead!

Then, of course, there’s the choice of character cameos. It’s not necessarily a bad idea for familiar characters to make appearances in content like The Mandalorian, sure, but, as stated above, it needs to be done for a purpose. Ahsoka (Dawson) not only helped Baby Yoda/Grogu (himself) find his path, but her appearance also set up a new solo series which would be starring in. In the long run, it makes sense.

On the other hand, Cad Bane’s (Burton) appearance, while entertaining, ultimately could have been anyone. Bane (Burton) appeared out of nowhere, said he was working for Boba Fett’s (Temuera Morrison) enemy, then was summarily dispatched by the infamous bounty hunter. Though characters often struggle to stay dead in Star Wars (looking at you, Darth Maul (Ray Park), if indeed this was the end of Cad Bane (Burton), his appearance served more as an “Oh, wow, it’s…” moment for fans of The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels than anything really meaningful.

What’s the Next Step For Cameos In ‘Star Wars’? What Should Be the Next Step?

With recent announcements at the Star Wars Celebration, fans have been let in on a few glimpses into the future of Star Wars and the future, familiar faces that they can expect to see. Not the least of these is the majority of the crew of The Ghost from Rebels. Fans saw glimpses of Hera Syndula (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), Chopper, and at least a hologram of Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi).

In a huge turnaround, fans were also made aware that Lars Mikkelsen, who played Grand Admiral Thrawn in Rebels, would be coming back to fill the role once again in live-action for Ahsoka, despite his comments to the contrary. Fans also learned that Dave Filoni would be heading a new Star Wars universe film which will unite the storylines of series like The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and The Book of Boba Fett.

With each of these bound to be replete with cameos both from actors and characters from other series and franchises within Star Wars, we now know what the next step will be, but that still begs the question: what should the next step be? That, of course, depends on what direction Lucasfilm wants to take the franchise. If they want to remain where they are, they’ll stick with just bringing Rebels and Clone Wars to live action. If, however, they want to take the next step, there’s more they could do.

Of course, many characters from the old Expanded Universe are either no longer canon or no longer possible. The Sequel Era reestablished canon with Ben Solo (Adam Driver), erasing Jacen and Jaina Solo, along with other characters and plots, while still leaving the door open for others. It’s to these characters that Lucasfilm needs to look if they want to keep offering cameos and keep the franchise moving forward.

Firstly, two throwbacks. Fans would absolutely lose their minds if Lucasfilm brought Kyle Katarn and Mara Jade back to canon. Similar to Thrawn (Mikkelsen), Katarn and Jade also had spots in the expanded universe, the latter even being Luke Skywalker’s (Hamill) wife at one point. Though other characters in the current canon have taken their cue from these two, like Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), and others, it would still win over many hardened Star Wars fans to see these two back in Star Wars.

Secondly, and likely more popular, the characters from Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Though there have been nods and hints, such as an appearance of Bracca in The Bad Batch and a BD droid in The Mandalorian, fans have yet to see any indication of characters like Cal Kestis (Cameron Monaghan), Cere Junda (Debra Wilson) or others from the popular gaming franchise. If Lucasfilm were to canonize and bring to live-action these characters, it would go a long way in bringing a fresh new start and new characters to the lineup.

Star Wars Is, or Ought To Be, For All

With as much as Kathleen Kennedy and Lucasfilm have been expanded by Disney in recent years, there are many more chairs at the table of Star Wars. There’s a lot to offer and many stories yet to be told, and while adding characters like Cal Kestis (Monaghan) or Kyle Katarn to the canon would be a great boon to the franchise, the Filoni characters obviously still have not only their following but their place in the Star Wars banquet as well.

Related: ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 4 Could Be Coming Sooner Than Expected, Hints Rick Famuyiwa

Whatever Lucasfilm decides to do next, every fan can be grateful, at the very least, that, good or bad, there is new content coming out that we can celebrate. As opposed to generations that came before that had to wait years, even decades, between new offerings from the Galaxy Far, Far Away, modern Star Wars fans have a plethora of options to choose from, and even more on the way! So whether it’s an offering for Filoni Fans, Sequel Fans, Prequel Fans, or anything in between, we can all be thankful that the Force is with us!

What do you think about the future of Star Wars cameos? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below!