By Zach Johnson
This is the way... to see out-of-this-world photos from the Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 3 launch event! D23: The Official Disney Fan Club was pulled back into the series’ orbit as Disney+ rolled out the red carpet at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood Tuesday for stars Pedro Pascal, Katee Sackhoff, Carl Weathers, Emily Swallow, Amy Sedaris, Giancarlo Esposito, Omid Abtahi, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Katy O’Brian, and Tait Fletcher. Other guests included Disney Legend Jon Favreau, who serves as showrunner and executive producer; executive producers Dave Filoni, Colin Wilson, and Rick Famuyiwa; director Peter Ramsey; and composer Ludwig Göransson.
In Season 3 of the Emmy® Award-winning series, the New Republic struggles to lead the galaxy away from its dark history. Meanwhile, Din Djarin (Pascal) crosses paths with old allies and makes new enemies as he and Grogu continue their adventures together. But, according to lore, Djarin is no longer a Mandalorian; after removing his helmet in the presence of another person, he’s an apostate. The Armorer (Swallow) said the only path to redemption is for him to bathe in the living waters of Mandalore—meaning this will be the first time the planet will be seen in live action after first being seen in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. “It’s probably a mystery to some people what it is exactly, and we reveal that in Season 3,” Filoni said. “When we when we go places like that, that were in an animated series, Jon and I look at that reference and try to make it work. It’s exciting.”
Exciting, yes, but also daunting. Production designer Doug Chiang said adapting Mandalore for live action “was one of the biggest challenges” his team faced. “Filoni had developed so much of that in animation already, so we were very respectful of it. But some things need to be translated for a different medium. Our biggest challenge was: How do we [translate] that aesthetic? How do we bring that world and that culture into something that could fit within the live-action world of The Mandalorian? The key was actually to have Dave Filoni. He was there to guide us. He loves The Mandalorian.”
He’s not the only one who loves the series. Lee, who plays Captain Carson Teva, said he’s as big a fan of Star Wars: The Mandalorian as anyone. “I’m excited, because I’ve been waiting for two years to see this stuff come to fruition,” the actor told D23 on the red carpet. “I’ve not seen a stitch of footage except for the trailers. It’s like Christmastime and I finally get to unwrap the present. Is it what I think it is? I hope so!”
The first episode from Season 3, “Chapter 17 – The Apostate,” is now streaming on Disney+. Before you watch it (or rewatch it!), enjoy more photos from the launch event:
