If 2020 had been an ordinary year, this past week would have been abuzz in Hollywood, California with a live premiere event for the second season of the live-action Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian. But the powers that be at Disney and Lucasfilm made do the best they could with a Virtual Premiere event that saw the series’ stars and creative minds calling in remotely to discuss their excitement around the return of this highly acclaimed show.
In the bullet-point list below, I’ve selected some of the most fun tidbits and moments to come out of the pre-recorded The Mandalorian premiere event, or you can simply watch the full presentation in the following embedded video. Enjoy!
Watch Virtual Premiere | The Mandalorian | Disney+:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85E9SXKywFY
- The Star Wars Show Anthony Carboni opens the show on a literal red carpet in what looks like an otherwise vacant soundstage, with cohost Andi Gutierrez joining via livestream.
- A “crowd” of Star Wars fans join in on the event via a large wall of screens behind the host.
- Actress Gina Carano (Cara Dune) appears to talk about her character and her journey in joining the Star Wars family. She loves the cosplayers who have recreated her costume at home. She says fans can look forward to a breath of fresh air when new episodes of The Mandalorian premiere each week on Disney+.
- Next up, Pedro Pascal (Din Djarin) shows up to say what an incredible experience it is to be a part of this series. He says the Mandalorian is “the world’s greatest babysitter.” He loves that the show visits all the old and all the new elements of Star Wars. “Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni are the real parents of the show. The amount of love they have for it and for its fans is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”
- Series producers and directors Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni appear to answer fan questions. They talk about Easter Egg references to previous Star Wars stories. Favreau loves that Star Wars can bring people together during a time when everyone is separated. He’s sad Star Wars Celebration didn’t happen this year, but he hopes the show makes up for it a little bit. Filoni talks about using the 501st in season one, and then the two filmmakers discuss what it was like bringing new directors into Star Wars for the first time. Then they discuss how they used an X-Wing from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge for Dave Filoni’s cameo as a New Republic pilot. Their favorite part of being on set is how everyone adds a little bit to it. “Star Wars has been around for so long that we’re sort of crowdsourcing it, in a way.”
- The graffiti at the beginning of the season 2 premiere was inspired and created by artist David Cho.
- It was very hard for them not to talk about The Child in the marketing and interviews for the previous season. “Twists and turns are important. Secrecy is very hard to come by in Star Wars. You don’t really want to know what you’re getting for Christmas.”
- Giancarlo Esposito (Moff Gideon) appears next to praise Favreau and Filoni. “I have never met fans like Star Wars fans.” He says it is stressful to join this universe because the fans are so intelligent and discerning. “This show is about dreaming, and I am happy to be one who dreams big.”
- Carl Weathers says he wishes everyone could be together, but he thinks the second season is just as good as season one, if not better. “When we see each other in the future in person, say hi!”
- Favreau and Filoni surprise the audience with a performance by Ludwig Goransson and his orchestra playing the theme song from The Mandalorian. Everyone in the orchestra was wearing the same Star Wars face mask available at Disney Parks. Goransson recorded the entire score for season two during the lockdown, but they’re starting to figure out ways for people to work together again, and they’re even going to be filming season three starting soon.
The Mandalorian season two premiered today on Disney+, with new episodes dropping each Friday for the next eight weeks.