Jon Favreau’s STAR WARS TV Show Is Called THE MANDALORIAN
The first details have finally been released for the live-action Star Wars TV show Jon Favreau is set to write and executive produce - and it looks like Disney will once again lean on established elements from the franchise.
Entitled The Mandalorian, the show is described by writer/executive producer Jon Favreau as follows:
After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe. The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic.
Favreau made the announcement via Instagram, and just in case you think there's some fancy teaser image to go along with this, let me be the first to tell you that that is not Favreau's style:
Initial thoughts? Though it's not directly about Boba Fett - whose solo-film semi-cancellation now seems more of a blessing for the franchise than ever - The Mandalorian is certainly leaning hard on his image. Sadly, that image is one solely comprised of a cool costume, a jetpack, a job title, and a funky-looking ship. Disney has explored Mandalorian culture already in Star Wars Rebels, and though Sabine Wren, the character at the centre of that storyline, is a strong character, her plotline didn't particularly resonate with me. Maybe it resonated with you?
Aside from that, the show's post-Empire, pre-First Order setting certainly offers plenty of opportunities for interesting storytelling. Will we see a galactic society in the middle of picking itself up again, as extremism collects on its fringes? Or will the show focus entirely on the "lone gunfighter" aspect of its central character? It's a curious term to use, suggesting the show will be something of an Outer-Rim Western. We're into that, despite its faint air of '90s fan fiction. Maybe the show will connect to Maz Kanata in some way, given that her hangout in The Force Awakens bore a Mandalorian insignia above its front door. We're definitely into that.
Favreau's announcement is also careful not to hint at the character's age, gender, or appearance in any way. Based on earlier statements, they'll be an entirely new character (sorry, Sabine fans), which doesn't rule out a repurposing of Fett's daughter from the old Expanded Universe - although we hope to the Force that Favreau's invocation of the Fetts was just for context. The character might possibly created using the same tech Favreau is currently employing on The Lion King, although we suspect that'll be reserved for supporting roles for budgetary reasons.
First announced back in March, The Mandalorian - set to launch exclusively on Disney's streaming service - represents just one part of the company's plan to conquer your television, with numerous other projects planned for the service, including some connected to Star Wars. Unlike every other Star Wars show however - The Clone Wars, Rebels, Resistance - The Mandalorian's title kinda sucks, leaning on deeper lore knowledge than the average large-popcorn-large-Coke audience member would possess. But that's the show, folks, and it'll launch on Disney's service in late 2019 at the absolute earliest. We wouldn't be surprised to see it pushed hard to become the service's must-see launch title.
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