'The Mandalorian' Cast Revealed: Carl Weathers, Werner Herzog, Giancarlo Esposito & More
After weeks of tidbits and rumors here and there as production on the live-action Star Wars series The Mandalorian was underway in Southern California, Lucasfilm has finally announced the impressive cast of the Disney+ series in its entirety.
The Mandalorian has confirmed Pedro Pascal will be taking the titular role of a lone Mandalorian gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy. Furthermore, they've also confirmed the previously reported and rumored cast members Carl Weathers, Werner Herzog, Nick Nolte and Gina Carano. But there are a few new names added as well.
Lucasfilm has also announced the addition of Emily Swallow (Supernatural), Omid Abtahi (American Gods) and Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad). Executive producer Jon Favreau added in the press release:
"We're having a great time working with this incredibly talented group and excited for everyone to see what we're up to."
We wish that we were having a great time along with all of these people, because this cast sound absolutely incredible. Werner Herzog, Carl Weathers, Nick Nolte and Giancarlo Esposito in the same project is already nothing short of a miracle, but having them all together in a live-action Star Wars series? That's just incredible.
The only problem is that we're left wondering just what kind of characters these actors are playing. Are they all human characters in the series? Or are some of them playing aliens or droids? Is there any way to make Werner Herzog anything but a villain? I'm not sure that even a galaxy far, far away has the power to make him feel non-threatening with that ominous voice of his.
Production on The Mandalorian is still in progress in California, and little details keep emerging here and there, including some possible plot points involving a surprising MacGuffin. There's no telling how soon we might get confirmation of these details in the form of a teaser trailer, but we're hoping it's sooner than later.
One new piece of information did come from The Hollywood Reporter's story on the casting. Supposedly The Mandalorian is set about five years after the events in Return of the Jedi and takes place in the Outer Rim, a region where people either don't know that the Empire has fallen or simply don't care. That will certainly allow the show some freedom from being tied into the struggle of the Rebel Alliance and the Empire, which will be a nice change of pace.
Here's the full press release from Lucasfilm at StarWars.com:
Lucasfilm is pleased to announce the cast of the first-ever Star Wars live-action series — The Mandalorian.
Pedro Pascal (Narcos) has been cast in the title role as a lone Mandalorian gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy. He is joined by Gina Carano (Deadpool), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad), Emily Swallow (Supernatural), Carl Weathers (Predator), Omid Abtahi (American Gods), Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man), and Nick Nolte (Affliction).
"We're having a great time working with this incredibly talented group and excited for everyone to see what we're up to," says Executive Producer Jon Favreau.
Currently in production, The Mandalorian is written and executive produced by Jon Favreau, with Dave Filoni (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels) directing the first episode and serving as executive producer alongside Kathleen Kennedy and Colin Wilson. Additional episodic directors include Deborah Chow (Jessica Jones), Rick Famuyiwa (Dope), Bryce Dallas Howard (Solemates), and Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok).
The highly-anticipated series will be exclusive to Disney+, The Walt Disney Company's upcoming direct-to-consumer streaming service, which is set to launch in the U.S. in late 2019.
Stay tuned to StarWars.com for updates.