There are several reasons why we haven’t seen much of Pedro Pascal in recent seasons of The Mandalorian. The biggest one is that the actor is very, very busy. So, for the most part, stunt performers like Lateef Crowder and Brendan Wayne don the beskar. The other reason is any time Din Djarin takes that helmet off, it causes major problems for the character, and he’s got to make up for them. That’s why, when we see Pedro Pascal’s handsome face in the trailers for the upcoming Star Wars film, The Mandalorian and Grogu, we know it’s a big deal. A big deal that Pascal himself was 100% behind.
Speaking to Empire, Pascal explained that writer-director Jon Favreau told him Din’s helmet came off in the movie and learned the reasons as Favreau explained the story to him.
“When we got to that part, all I can say is that it made perfect sense, and it was what I was hoping would be the reason,” Pascal said. “If I were to pitch something, I would say, ‘The only thing that makes sense is…’ And that’s exactly it. He filled that blank. I said immediately, ‘Jon, that’s exactly what I was hoping to hear!’”
Of course, we don’t know exactly what the reason is. We’ll have to wait to see the movie for that. But the trailer does certainly imply that, in at least one instance, the helmet is forcibly removed from Din’s body. Is that the reason Pascal was “hoping to hear?” We hope not. Plus, he’s already taken it off to emotionally connect with Grogu, and what’s better than that? We are stumped.
The Empire piece also explains that for the movie, Pascal got to not just show his face again but also act in the armor more. “You’ll see [Pedro] in the armor, both with and without the helmet,” Favreau said. “He’s a pretty physical performer. So we pushed a little further than we have in the past, as far as what he’s doing, helmet-off.”
Which is all well and good. We do love Pedro Pascal. But Din’s relationship with his helmet has been such a contentious thing over the course of the show. It was a way for Bo Katan to basically shame him for his outdated Mandalorian beliefs. It was also the reason why he went on a dangerous mission to Mandalore to pay penance for removing it. Will those narrative and emotional threads weave into this story? Time will tell.
The Mandalorian and Grogu opens May 22.
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