The Mandalorian was a huge hit and helped put Disney+ on the map in a big way. Now, all eyes are on season two to deliver, and more Baby Yoda cuteness alone won't be enough to ensure it makes the same lasting impact those first eight chapters did. That could explain why Lucasfilm is loading up season two with plenty of big name characters (including, yes, the Boba Fett).
There's been a lot to keep up with in recent weeks, so we're now taking a closer look at all the latest reveals about the Star Wars TV show to bring you an in-depth guide about what to expect.
From casting rumours to the addition of some familiar faces, not to mention intel on whether the show will still air this year as planned despite COVID-19, there's an awful lot to get excited about.
So, to take a look through this recap, all you guys need to do is click on the "Next" button down below!
10. WWE Wrestler Sasha Banks Could Be Playing Sabine Wren
Rumour has it that, alongside some other familiar faces, we'll get to see Sabine Wren in The Mandalorian season two. Given who else is showing up, it wouldn't make much sense for us not to catch up with the character, especially when she once wielded the Darksaber.
As for who is playing her, it's widely believed that it could be WWE wrestler Sasha Banks. She was quietly added to the series earlier this year, and, well, the visual similarities are undeniably striking.
Some fans won't like the fact a wrestler is playing a character as important as this one, but Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, and company must have seen something special in her, so we need to have faith. We just have to hope the fan-favourite Mandalorian is handled well.
9. Post-Production Is Taking Place Remotely
While we're unsure what the plan is for shows like The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and WandaVision, new Disney CEO Bob Chapek recently confirmed that shooting on season two of The Mandalorian wrapped before COVID-19 started closing down productions, and noted that post-production is now taking place remotely.
Season two is tentatively scheduled for October, and that's obviously going to remain the case as Chapek confirmed in a recent interview that, "there will be no delay on [The] Mandalorian."
That's definitely good news, and it gives us something to look forward to. However, if work is finished soon and those Marvel TV shows are delayed, perhaps we'll end up seeing it a little sooner?
8. Some Big Name Directors Have Been Added To The Mix
It's believed that both Dave Filoni and Bryce Dallas Howard will each direct an episode of The Mandalorian season two, but we're still not sure who is set to be in charge of the rest.
However, on Star Wars Day, we got some clarification when Peyton Reed (Ant-Man and The Wasp) and Robert Rodriguez (Sin City) both confirmed that they have helmed episodes this year.
Taika Waititi sadly won't be back, but we can clearly trust Lucasfilm when it comes to enlisting top filmmakers for this Disney+ series. Oh, and there will once again be eight chapters!
7. Katee Sackhoff Brings Bo-Katan Kryze From Animation To Live-Action
Battlestar Galactica star Katee Sackhoff first played Bo-Katan Kryze in The Clone Wars, and later reprised the role in Star Wars Rebels. While Sabine Wren wielded the Darksaber for a time, it was last seen in Kryze's possession, so it makes perfect sense for her to play the character in live-action.
This will make some fans wonder why Ashley Eckstein isn't starring as Ahsoka Tano, of course, but it's still a cool move on Lucasfilm's part, even if it's likely to only be a brief cameo.
The Mandalorian's first season ended with the reveal that Moff Gideon has the Darksaber, so we're obviously going to learn how he got his hands on it...sadly, that doesn't bode well for Kryze!
6. Temuera Morrison Is Set To Play Boba Fett (Really!)
Yes, it's hard to believe, but Attack of the Clones star Temuera Morrison really is going to play Boba Fett in The Mandalorian season two. Just like in the Expanded Universe, he managed to find his way out of the Sarlaac Pit, and was clearly hot on the heels of Mando after coming across Fennec Shand's body during the first season.
We have no idea what his motivations are, but the fact he's a clone - which Baby Yoda also appears to be - is likely to come into play and, well, we're kind of hoping that he's an anti-hero here!
Either way, this is beyond exciting, and there are already rumblings that the plan is for Boba Fett to have a much larger role when season three arrives (fingers crossed for a spinoff series).
5. Oh, And He's Probably Playing Captain Rex Too
The second Morrison was cast, fans started wondering whether we could see him as Captain Rex as well. After all, the former Clone Trooper was still alive and well at the end of Star Wars Rebels, and he's one of the biggest breakout stars from both that and The Clone Wars.
Unsurprisingly, just a couple of days after the news about Boba Fett broke, it was reported that the actor is likely going to appear as Rex in The Mandalorian, and that's equally as exciting in many way.
The show will need to explain why Morrison has multiple roles (Attack of the Clones was a long time ago, and we're willing to bet many viewers have never seen the animated spinoffs), but if The Child is indeed a clone, then we can likely expect a lot of loose plot threads to tie together.
4. Maul Could End Up Making An Appearance
Solo: A Star Wars Story brought Darth Maul back to a live-action setting, but that's not something we're expecting The Mandalorian to touch on as the villain's story ended in Star Wars Rebels.
A resurrection is definitely off the cards, but if we're going to be treated to an episode delving into the history of the Darksaber, then Maul showing up (even for just a voiceless cameo) has to be inevitable, right? Well, we certainly hope so anyway, and a social media tease from Ray Park may have confirmed his involvement in this next batch of episodes.
Sam Witwer voices Maul these days, while Park continues to play him, and the actor sharing the Sith logo alongside "This is the Way" has obviously sent speculation into overdrive in recent weeks.
3. The Episode Titles
These are reportedly the episode titles for season two of The Mandalorian:
- Chapter One: The Search
- Chapter Two: The Confrontation
- Chapter Three: The Bounty
- Chapter Four: The Republic
- Chapter Five: The Loyalist
- Chapter Six: The Sorcerer
- Chapter Seven: The Return
- Chapter Eight: The Empire
Given what we now know about what's to come in the show, it's not that difficult to figure out what some of these might be referring (does "The Return" = the return of Boba Fett?), and while they're not 100% confirmed, the mention of "The Empire" is undeniably intriguing, don't you think?
2. Season 3 Is Already In Pre-Production
We obviously haven't seen The Mandalorian season two yet, but the show has already been renewed for a third year. Apparently, writing has been happening for a while now, while the production design department actually began working on designing sets in late April.
Things will have obviously been slowed down by COVID-19, but Disney is clearly confident in the show continuing for the foreseeable future, and this likely means we won't get all the answers we've been waiting for during season two (like The Child's origin story, for example).
Now, we just have to keep our fingers crossed that it's able to premiere next fall on Disney+...
1. Rosario Dawson Brings Ashoka Tano To Live-Action
We're sure you're aware of this, but we had to end this recap with arguably the biggest The Mandalorian season two news we've had to date. Ashoka Tano has been a firm fan-favourite since first being introduced in The Clone Wars and after following her story there, and in Star Wars Rebels, a live-action debut has felt like an inevitability for a while now.
Unfortunately, as we mentioned, it won't be Ashley Eckstein who brings her to life. Instead, Lucasfilm has gone with A-List actress Rosario Dawson which is definitely an understandable decision.
Some fans will be disappointed by this decision, of course, but if there are big plans for Ahsoka moving forward, it makes sense for a bigger name like Dawson to play her. She's a perfect fit for this version, and there are already rumblings that she could get a spinoff series of her own.