The Mandalorian is a story of found family. The “Clan of Two” of Din Djarin and Grogu is the emotional heart of the show, constantly driving Mando into adventures no other bounty hunter would dare touch. But in reality, the clan is a bit bigger than two. It takes a lot of people to fully embody the character of Din Djarin, and the unsung heroes behind the mask may have their moment in the spotlight in The Mandalorian Season 3.
The Mandalorian has never pretended that Pedro Pascal is solely responsible for the character of Din Djarin. Stunt doubles Lateef Crowder and Brendan Wayne are often in the suit, while Pedro Pascal provides voice-over work. This often makes fans wonder how often Pascal actually shows up to filming, which has led to some strange rumors.
But a leak in The Bespin Bulletin claims Pascal hasn’t been on set for The Mandalorian Season 3 at all due to his commitment to the HBO series The Last of Us. However, filming for that series wrapped last month, meaning there was a window of time where he could have stepped into the Mandalorian armor and given his stunt doubles a break.
Having stars share the physical aspects of a Star Wars character isn’t anything new. While Hayden Christensen’s return to the role of Darth Vader was one of the main drawing points of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Christensen shared the role with two stunt doubles who handled the majority of fight choreography.
Knowing this may ruin the illusion a bit, but it’s a necessity given both the physical demands of a Star Wars role and the demands on the time of its stars. Brendan Wayne, John Wayne’s grandson, is the “gunslinger” of the three Mandos, helping bring the series’ Space Western tone to the forefront. Lateef Crowder, a martial arts expert, is essential for the physical combat scenes.
“I am modeling my performance around their physicality in a lot of ways and I wouldn’t be able to do it without them,” Pascal said of his doubles in an episode of the behind-the-scenes documentary Disney Gallery.
But what does a physical lack of Pascal mean for The Mandalorian Season 3? Well, the plot probably won’t allow for the rare delight of seeing Mando with his helmet off. His face reveals in Season 1 and 2 were necessary to the story, but his entire arc in Season 3, as set up in The Book of Boba Fett, seems to revolve around earning forgiveness from the Armorer and his fellow Mandalorians, which means the helmet is probably staying on. But don’t look at it as losing one actor’s performance; you’ll be gaining more from the other two actors responsible for the role.
The Mandalorian premieres February 2023 on Disney+.
