Pedro Pascal’s bounty-hunter-turned-space-daddy, Din Djarin, isn’t the only one stepping into a leadership role in The Mandalorian Season 3. Behind the scenes, longtime series director Rick Famuyiwa is also stepping into a new position as executive producer, while also directing three of this season’s eight new episodes.
From this new vantage point, Famuyiwa can speak more broadly about the future of the tentpole Star Wars show, like, for example, the major themes of The Mandalorian Season 3. (Even if he’s honor-bound not to reveal any spoilers.)
“Season 3 is really about continuing to define that idea of the Mandalorian, which started with our one character, the one Mandalorian,” Famuyiwa tells Inverse. “When we first met him, we didn't even know his name, he was just The Mandalorian. Then, we expanded on his own belief system.”
While Famuyiwa couldn’t go into specifics (we weren’t even able to watch any of Season 3 before this interview) he did drop some interesting clues about the future of Din Djarin, Grogu (aka, Baby Yoda), and the rest of the Mando-verse — along with his dream for a spinoff Chewbacca series and the promise of one “special” new episodes.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.
How do your past Mandalorian episodes compare to your upcoming ones?
I've had the privilege of having some really cool episodes that I've had the chance and honor to direct, [like] the second episode, which was after the introduction to Grogu. The exploration of who this child is and what the nature of this relationship might be started to get seeded in that second episode.
When I think about what I did in Season 2, with Episode 7, that was the episode where The Mandalorian takes off his helmet with the purpose to help the child. The ramifications of that act definitely spill forward into this season. That was one of the things as I was writing Episode 7 that I thought was important. After all this time, we have to put Mando in a place where he really has to get confronted by his beliefs and where that would put him at odds with the safety of the child. I think he made the right decision, but sometimes even when you make the right decision, it leads to unintended consequences. That's where we are when we start Season 3.
What are the biggest themes of Season 3? I know that you've talked about Mandalorian culture, are we going to see a take on the Mandalorian Civil War in Season 3?
I think Season 3 is really about continuing to define that idea of the Mandalorian, which started with our one character, the one Mandalorian. When we first met him, we didn't even know his name, he was just The Mandalorian. Then, we expanded on his own belief system.
As he's come in contact with a larger world of Mandalorians, besides just the covert that raised him, he's also seen that there's a different point of view on what that means to be Mandalorian, especially as he meets Bo-Katan. That's certainly going to be expanded as we get into Season 3.
What does it mean to be Mandalorian individually for our characters, but what does it mean, collectively, as, as these different ideas and points of view have to come together and are brought together in this season? We'll see where that leads. Ultimately, it's going to be about defining and addressing that this season.
If you could give any Star Wars character in canon or non-canon their own spin-off series, Who would it be?
It's too hard for me to pick one on the spot at this moment. I've always been curious about Chewbacca and that world and where he comes from. There have been hints, clearly. In the Holiday Special, we found out a lot about Wookies. But I don't know there's something about him and that world and how long they live. How that world relates to the rest of the events I thought could be interesting and kind of weird and wacky too.
Would you be willing to direct that if it came to pass?
I would be willing to see it. I would love to see someone attempt to do that. I don't know if I'd want to tackle that thing, but I'd love to see it.
Which is your favorite episode of the new season? Which one should fans most get excited about?
I'm supposed to say they all are, we love them all equally, they're all our favorite. Without naming specifics, there's an episode that I really got excited about when I read it, and when I saw it come together was special. There are definitely some things around the corner that I'm very excited about, and there's one episode in particular but I won't give you the number. I do have a baby, but I just can't share it.
