Tag: The Mandalorian

The Return of the ‘Razor Crest’ in ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ Sucks

When Lucasfilm surprise dropped our very first trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu this week, the first thing we saw was a very familiar ship: the bulky chrome body (now bedecked in stripes of yellow paint) and the barrel-shaped twin engines jutting out of either side. It was meant to invoke one thought to anyone who’s watched the show: the Razor Crest is back.

The thing is, the Razor Crest was blown into itty-bitty bits during the climax of The Mandalorian season two. We don’t know yet whether or not, months or a year or so later, Din Djarin managed to go back to Tython and collect all the remaining scrap from his old ride to be put back together—probably not, considering that The Book of Boba Fett dedicated an episode to Din getting a new ride in the form of a Naboo N-1 Starfighter. But whether or not he found the time to go back or just simply managed to buy another ship of the same type, an ST-70 Gunship is not really what the return of a ship that looks identical to the one he used to fly around in really says.

© Lucasfilm

It mostly just says, “That thing you know is back.” Which The Mandalorian has gotten, for good or ill, very good at saying; it’s now just applying that to something that’s been gone for a season and a bit of TV, rather than things we know from other old Star Wars material. And it’s just the latest in a long line of things that The Mandalorian, as a show, has given up on in terms of displaying any kind of real growth for its lead characters.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I didn’t particularly like the show’s new choice of ship for Din either. Going from an unwieldy metal brick of a transport ship to a slick, stripped-down starfighter—even putting aside the nostalgia play of it being a ship fans knew and recognized, instead of a new design like the Razor Crest had been when it was introduced—didn’t make sense for a character that was ostensibly still trying to be the bounty hunter he had been.

The N-1 was a hero’s ship, one that reflected that, for better or worse, Din’s status in the Star Wars galaxy had changed: he was no longer the lone wanderer just making his way on the fringes of the galaxy; he was thrust into the upper echelons of Star Wars‘ heroes and villains, rubbing shoulders with Luke Skywalker and being the onetime inheritor, whether he wanted to be or not, of the Mandalorian people’s legacy. He was recognized as recognizable and needed a vessel to match that.

The Razor Crest, in a lot of ways, represented the imperfect man we’d come to know over the course of The Mandalorian‘s debut season—it’s not a cool ship, it’s not decked out with a bazillion weapon hardpoints, it wasn’t luxurious inside or out, it was practical, rugged, the Star Wars equivalent of a hauling truck, and that made it perfect for a bounty hunter scrounging around from job to job. Replacing it with a starfighter that was distinctly impractical for the job of bounty hunting but was also the antithesis of everything that made the Razor Crest feel unique, felt like the show forcibly telling us that Din was moving on and accepting his new place in the galaxy, even if that new place was beholden to Star Wars‘ broader yearning for the familiar.

© Lucasfilm

Now, in The Mandalorian and Grogu, Din has kept that new status quo while also returning to familiarity with this “new” ship. There’s no moving on or mark of what his life was like when The Mandalorian first began anymore. Now he is more explicitly that unequivocal hero, allied with the New Republic, and brushing shoulders with familiar faces over and over. Because the Razor Crest itself has now become something Star Wars can mine for nostalgia, as much as one can mine nostalgia for something that’s just six years old (and has been gone for most of those six years). Now we can be sold all those Razor Crest toys again, except they’ve got yellow paint markings on them. She’s got a new hat!

But really it’s not the ship itself that is necessarily a problem here (again, I liked what The Mandalorian said about Din through his ship of choice in its first two seasons a lot), but what this return represents overall: The Mandalorian finds it really hard to let go of any potential opportunity for growth. The Razor Crest‘s return pales in comparison, narratively speaking, to the number of character throughlines that the series has set up and then promptly dropped. Seasons one and two set up a compelling arc of Din coming to question the orthodoxy of his own Mandalorian covert—and, through characters like Bo-Katan, the idea that there were other ways for him to exist and be Mandalorian outside of those not necessarily healthy teachings—climaxing in both his decision to remove his helmet and to give up Grogu to be trained as a Jedi.

© Lucasfilm

All that immediately turned around in season three, which opened with an arc of almost-penitence for Din, running back unequivocally into the arms and teachings of the covert with little engagement as to why he should do that. And that he did so with Grogu at his side again—a separation resolved between seasons in that aforementioned Book of Boba Fett appearance, largely at the heinous expense of mishandling the character of Luke Skywalker—was just further indication that the show could not imagine a way to follow through with the shifts in its status quo that it laid out. Din Djarin can only be the faceless adherent of the Way; only he can guide Grogu’s path, and now, he can only pilot that one kind of ship you know he piloted before.

It’s a strange sense of inertia that feels jarring as Din becomes the face of Star Wars‘ return to cinema at a time when the series needs newness to guide its way rather than resting on the laurels of familiarity. A couple splashes of paint just simply aren’t enough compared to the message The Mandalorian and Grogu‘s debut trailer sent: that sensation of newness has yet to be found here.

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James Whitbrook

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September 26, 2025
Katee Sackhoff Talks ‘The Mandalorian’ and Acting Struggles

Battlestar Galacta alum Katee Sackhoff has been in genre TV for years. After voicing cultist turned mercenary/freedom fighter Bo-Katan Kryze for Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Rebels, she reprised the role in the live-action series The Mandalorian. She’s gotten to play Bo several times since then, but as the actor herself tells it, coming back to that role hasn’t been without its challenges.

In the latest episode of her podcast, Sackhoff told her Battlestar co-worker Tahmoh Penikett how she lost “all of my confidence” after filming The Mandalorian. “I’ve always played two steps removed from myself, [and] it always felt grounded in some part of my belly, of who I was,” she explained. Her usual acting method has been to go with her “first instinct, play the reality of the situation,” but that wasn’t the case with Bo-Katan. Playing the character in live-action made her realize how much Bo is “nowhere near who I am as a human being. As much as I stood her, I never identified with her, and I didn’t know how to find her.”

Sackhoff went on to say Bo-Katan “broke” her, enough to keep her from further acting in the past three years. She credits an acting coach and a new manager with helping her turn things around; the former reaffirmed her talent and said she just “need to get you back in your belly. You just need to find your confidence again.” As of this year, Sackhoff’s done voice work for Warner Bros.’ animated Watchmen duology and showed up in this year’s Fight or Flight, and she’s also in Prime Video’s upcoming Carrie series.

Star Wars-wise, it’s unclear whether she’ll appear in The Mandalorian & Grogu or the second season of Ahsoka, both of which Bo-Katan is some connections to. The show is currently in production, while the film is due May 22, 2026.

[via Variety]

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Justin Carter

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August 24, 2025
Tokyo: VFX Pioneer George Murphy Talks AI, Virtual Production and the Future of Filmmaking

New technologies led by artificial intelligence and virtual production are profoundly changing visual effects but are still “another paintbrush” in the service of storytelling, says VFX veteran George Murphy.

“Virtual production is not just a tool for VFX; it’s a storytelling tool that allows actors to feel fully immersed in the scene, instead of having to imagine everything against a blank screen,” Murphy tells The Hollywood Reporter, in an interview at the Tokyo International Film Festival ahead of appearing on the Motion Picture Association panel, Filmmaking 2.0: The Evolution of Real-Time VFX for Traditional Filmmakers.

Murphy, a VFX supervisor and creative director at DNEG in London, made his entry into filmmaking with Steven Spielberg’s Hook (1991), a production hailed for its seminal VFX, in particular the use of projected matte painting. Computerized effects were very much in their infancy when he joined Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). He was part of a small team that pioneered digital compositing for films and he quickly recognized the potential of these ground-breaking tools to transform filmmaking.

“At ILM, we worked with Unix scripts and early computer graphics programs, but it was clear that these tools could create more believable, integrated images than anything before,” he says.

Murphy’s background was in another visual medium. “I started out fully intending to be a freelance photojournalist, covering the real world,” he recalls. “In an odd way, it was those skills in capturing reality that prepared me for fabricating worlds that don’t exist.”

Creating those worlds and making them look believable won him an Oscar and BAFTA for Forrest Gump, and has seen him supervise effects on productions including Planet of The Apes, Mission: Impossible, Jurassic Park, The Matrix sequels and Black Sails.

One of the biggest game-changers in recent years has been the development of virtual production, says Murphy. This technology, popularized by The Mandalorian, allows filmmakers to create virtual environments on LED screens in real time, replacing traditional green-screen backdrops.

Murphy experienced the power of this technology firsthand on the set of Murder on the Orient Express back in 2016, where a train car was surrounded by LED screens displaying high-resolution footage of the world speeding by. “The actors didn’t have to pretend they were looking out at a snowy mountain scene. They were immersed in it, and that makes a huge difference in their performance. Things that were going past would actually catch their eyes,” he notes, saying it led to a more authentic feel and therefore immersive experience for the audience as well.

Responsive tools like Epic Games’ Unreal Engine and Unity have also revolutionized the VFX workflow. “These tools allow us to create, edit, and test our work in real-time, which wasn’t possible a decade ago. You can see the result instantly instead of waiting hours for a render,” Murphy explains.

He likens this change to moving from analog to digital photography: “The whole process has become much more flexible and collaborative, allowing us to explore creative choices and see what works best in the moment.”

With AI advancing at a bewildering pace, it is quickly finding a place in the VFX toolkit. For Murphy, AI offers both opportunities and challenges. He points out that AI can streamline labor-intensive tasks like rotoscoping (manually isolating elements within a scene) or tracking (following a moving object or character in footage).

“With AI, we can now accomplish in minutes what used to take hours or even days,” he says. “It frees up artists to focus on the more creative aspects of their work”

Nevertheless, he believes that for all its power, machine learning isn’t a substitute for the creativity and ideation of a filmmaker, for now at least. “AI can process huge amounts of data, and it can imitate styles based on what it’s seen. But it doesn’t experience emotions, so it can’t capture the essence of human storytelling. That’s something only artists who have lived and felt can bring to a project,” he suggests.

Another exciting development for Murphy is the expansion of storytelling across different media and platforms. During his work on The Matrix sequels, he witnessed the potential of what he calls “story worlds.” The Matrix franchise extended its narrative through video games, animated shorts, and comics, allowing fans to explore the story beyond the main films. Murphy sees this approach as crucial for the future of entertainment, as audiences look for ways to engage more deeply with stories.

This “multiverse” approach to storytelling has become increasingly popular, especially with the rise of streaming and interactive platforms. Murphy believes that as technology advances, audiences will be able to interact with story worlds in new ways—perhaps even experiencing them in virtual reality or augmented reality. “We’re only scratching the surface of what’s possible,” he says. “Once VR becomes more accessible, the way we tell and experience stories is going to change fundamentally”

Looking forward, Murphy is enthusiastic about the possibilities that technology opens up but also concerned about the potential loss of craftsmanship.

“There’s an artistry to physical effects, to building something by hand, and that’s still incredibly valuable. It gives you a grounding in reality that’s essential, even in digital work,” he explains, adding that many of the best physical model makers went on to VFX careers.

Ultimately, Murphy believes that technology should serve the story, not the other way around, and remains optimistic about the future of filmmaking.

“These tools are just new brushes in our paintbox,” he says. “They allow us to push the boundaries of what’s possible. But the artist’s hand will always be there, guiding the story and making sure it resonates with the audience.”

Gavin Blair

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October 30, 2024
Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, and Paul Mescal’s Thighs: Everything We Know About “Gladiator II”

Finally, a movie that will unite all genders. It’s like
Barbie and Oppenheimer in one: Gladiator II. One of the most anticipated films of the past few years, Gladiator II is a sequel to the 2000 smash hit Gladiator. The original box-office hit was a cultural phenomenon that still resonates in our film landscape today.

Written by David Franzoni, John Logan, and William Nicholson,
Gladiator starred Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Tomas Arana, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed, and more. Who amongst us doesn’t remember Russell Crowe’s epic performance, which arguably formed the basis of the modern action hero?

Ridley Scott returns as director with an entirely fresh cast and the ambitious goal to make an equally iconic film — and I can’t lie, the first look is promising. The film is coming to theaters on November 22, 2024 — I’ve marked the date on my calendar already. The countdown’s already begun, and I feel like I’m watching water boil as I wait for each new morsel of information and each thrilling image. Well, we’ve finally got the first look at
Gladiator II, and it’s only made me hungry for more.

Here are our thoughts on all things Gladiator II and why we can’t wait to return to the Colosseum:

The Sequel To End All Sequels

Gladiator II is not just a sequel; it’s a cultural phenomenon in the making. The original Gladiator won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for its lead, Russell Crowe. Its sequel promises to deliver an equally impactful cinematic experience by retaining the core of what initially made the film successful: historical accuracy buoyed by exciting action.

Scott may be returning for another round in the Colosseum, but he’s not merely doing a victory lap. The stakes are high, especially considering the mixed reviews of his last effort,
Napoleon. One of the biggest flops of the last year, Napoleon attempted to do a lot of what Gladiator II is aiming to achieve. They’re both action dramas based on historical figures. However, where Napoleon dragged, Gladiator II needs to soar. The upcoming Scott effort has got to be fast, furious, and, let’s face it, hot. Napoleon wasn’t necessarily full of heartthrobs, but Gladiator II is. Thank goodness for us. If anything, this fact alone will get people in seats when it opens in theaters — just look at the crowds that The Iron Claw brought in despite its depressing subject matter.

The long-awaited sequel is, in many ways, a true follow-up to its predecessor. The film picks up decades after the events of the original. As Maximus dies, he thinks of his wife and son, Lucius. Now, this seems like a hint at a sequel, which focuses on Lucius who’s now living in Numidia, an ancient kingdom in Africa. However, Roman soldiers invade his new home and Lucius is forced to become a gladiator.

Ridley Scott’s direction is known for its grandeur and meticulous attention to detail, and “Gladiator II” is no exception. The story draws from real-life historical events to explore not only the physical battles but also the political and emotional struggles that define the era. The film promises breathtaking visuals, intense battle sequences, and the epic cinematic experiences that Scott is famous for.

Here’s what we know so far about the ins and outs of Gladiator II.

What We Know About Gladiator II

Each new day brings fresh information. And the new images in the first look are the most revealing tidbits we’ve received yet.

The cast is one of the most intriguing parts of the movie.
Paul Mescal is obviously the most impressive cast member in the lead role, partly because he’s such an unexpected choice — but we’ll get to that. The other cast members are equally exciting. From the returning cast to new additions, every single name on the
Gladiator II bill is super.

Denzel Washington is set to play Macrinus, a former slave turned wealthy powerbroker in Rome. Returning to her central role as Lucilla, Connie Nielsen is back. Djimon Hounsou is also back as Juba. Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger play alongside each other as the twin emperors of Rome, while Pedro Pascal plays Marcus Acacius, a former Roman general who becomes a gladiator as punishment for insubordination.

Pascal, known for his roles in
The Mandalorian and Game of Thrones, has become famed on the internet for being a gentle giant. But in this role, his gentleness is replaced by ferociousness as he takes on the role of a fighter who has learned from the best. “He’s a very, very good general, which can mean a very good killer,” Pascal told Vanity Fair. Yet, he admits he was still afraid to spar with Mescal. “He got so strong. I would rather be thrown from a building than have to fight him again.”

Which brings us back to Paul.

The Paul Mescal of it all: Aftersun, Normal People … Gladiator?

It’s surprising how famous Paul Mescal has become for someone with relatively few credits. But his breakthrough role as Connell in Sally Rooney’s
Normal People alongside Daisy Edgar Jones made him an instant heartthrob and one of the internet’s boyfriends. Following it up with Oscar-bait Aftersun cemented him as one of the greatest actors of our generation. And he can do it all, which he proved in his role in the recent theatre production of A Streetcar Named Desire in London — which he was appearing in when he got the Gladiator role. But just like the other dramatic virtuoso of our time, Timothee Chalamet, he made a choice that no one would expect for his first major blockbuster: an action movie. And unlike my dear Timmy, he has the body for it.

Gladiator isn’t a superhero film. It’s not just muscle, Marvel body, and special effects. On the contrary, part of what makes the original stand out from the souped-up action mega-movies that followed it was its core. At the center of this story isn’t merely history but also an emotionally-driven narrative. Dune is the same, which is why it worked. Also, such a project requires a lead actor who can handle the pathos as well as the physicality. Paul Mescal, who was a Gaelic football player before becoming an actor, is a rare specimen who can do both.

“I’m used to being physical in my body,” he told
Vanity Fair in a tell-all interview about getting the role and the grueling process of training and filming. Mescal also spoke about how balancing the physical and emotional elements of the film contributed to his excitement to take on the challenge of this role. “[It’s about] what human beings will do to survive, but also what human beings will do to win. We see that in the arena, but also in the political struggle that’s going on outside of my character’s storyline, where you see there are other characters striving and pulling for power. Where’s the space for humanity? Where’s the space for love, familial connection? And ultimately, will those things overcome this kind of greed and power? Those things are oftentimes directly in conflict with each other.”

But don’t worry, he’s taking the physical aspects just as seriously. “I just wanted to be big and strong and look like somebody who can cause a bit of damage,” he said. “Muscles start to grow, and that can be deemed aesthetic in certain capacities, but there is something about feeling strong in your body that elicits just a different feeling. You carry yourself differently … It has an impact on you psychologically in a way that is useful for the film.”

Although Mescal insists that the physicality isn’t merely aesthetic, we can’t deny that it’s part of why we’re rushing to see the movie — I told you it was going to unite moviegoers of all genders and sexual orientations. While all straight men love any excuse to ponder the Roman Empire (check), the rest of us aren’t
dismayed by Paul Mescal’s thighs (double check, one for each leg). Infamous for gallivanting around in short shorts, Mescal’s physicality is part of his draw, but never has it been put to such good use. This is our Brad Pitt in Troy. Our Kellan Lutz in that awful Hercules film … and that awful Tarzan remake. Our Brendan Fraser in the less-bad 1997 Tarzan. Except with an actor whose acting is as good as his looks.

The press tour we’re all waiting for

Needless to say, with a cast this good, I can’t wait for the press tour. We’re in an era when the
marketing magic behind the movies we love is more transparent than ever — but also more entertaining. After press tours like Barbie, Dune 2, and Challengers, big-budget movies these days have to come with big-budget press tours.

So this fall, we’re in for a parade of our favorite, great actors. I can’t wait to see them bantering on red-carpets, playing with puppies, and revealing more about life on set. But most of all, I’m hungry for each glimpse of the movie we’re going to get from here on out.

Langa Chinyoka

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July 9, 2024
Sci-Fi Legend Sigourney Weaver May Join Star Wars Universe

Legend Sigourney Weaver
Photo: Carlos Alvarez (Getty Images)

The Mandalorian and Grogu may have its first new cast member, and she’s a sci-fi legend. Sigourney Weaver, the star of Alien, Avatar, and Ghostbusters, is in talks to join the next Star Wars film, scheduled to hit theaters May 22, 2026.

Giancarlo Esposito Instantly Knew Baby Yoda was the star of The The Mandalorian

The news was first reported by TheInSneider and a Lucasfilm representative could not be reached for comment. io9 sources, however, do believe the story to be accurate. There’s also no word on who Weaver could be playing in the film but it’s Star Wars! She could be anyone or anything: human, alien, bounty hunter, droid. She played a teenage version of herself in 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water. She’s got range.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is the next Star Wars film coming and, with production expected to start later this year, it makes sense cast is starting to get locked in. Jon Favreau is writing and directing, as he has done on much of the first three seasons of The Mandalorian, with Dave Filoni and Kathleen Kennedy producing. We still don’t even have “official” confirmation of returning Mando cast members such as Pedro Pascal, Katee Sackhoff, and others, but we do know that Grogu will be there. And really that’s all that matters.

So what do you think? Does Weaver fit in a galaxy far, far away? Do you want her to play a hero? A villain? A scoundrel? Will you be buying her action figure? To that last question, we certainly say yes.

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Germain Lussier

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May 10, 2024
Star Wars’ Diana Lee Inosanto Digs Deep Into Tales of the Empire

Star Wars loves nothing more than understanding a villain. Part of the reason the franchise’s greatest evils are also some of its most compelling characters is because it loves to dive deep into understanding why these figures are the way they are. The time has come for Morgan Elsbeth’s turn—and for us and the actress behind her alike to lift the lid on this wayward daughter of Dathomir.

Giancarlo Esposito Instantly Knew Baby Yoda was the star of The The Mandalorian

Although we saw Morgan meet her untimely end at the climax of Ahsoka, we will finally get to see more of what makes her tick this coming weekend when Star Wars day brings Tales of the Empire to Disney+. The new six-part anthology series delves into two tales of survival in the Imperial Age: including, of course, Inosanto’s return to Morgan Elsbeth, as we see her journey from Nightsister to Magistrate—and Thrawn’s right hand. To learn more about how she prepared to return to the galaxy far, far away, io9 sat down with Inosanto over Zoom to learn more about Tales of the Empire. Check it out in full below!

James Whitbrook, io9: Morgan has been well established in live action Star Wars. What surprised you about getting to visit her now in the realm of Star Wars animation?

Diana Lee Inosanto: For me, it’s the details the confirmation of finally, really understanding her background—particularly going all the way back to Dathomir, and what happened in that period of time. I love the fact that we see her love for people. I think people have been used to, in the live-action, seeing this more villainous approach [to Morgan], her own agenda. But I love that we get to go back and see what her people meant to her: her love for her mother, her love for her fellow Nightsisters, and that she was, still, in her own way unique.

As dark as it is, you understand why she had to become a survivor, and that every time, in every moment, she’s always thinking of her people, and her roots, and her heritage—that’s what I find fascinating about Morgan.

io9: We get to see her history with the Nightsisters here—how much of that history as we saw it in Clone Wars and Rebels were you familiar with as you started to embrace this particular facet of Morgan’s character?

Inosanto: For me, it was kind of… almost like an IV drip for me! [Laughs.] When I auditioned, I really didn’t know what I was getting into, to be honest with you. When I met with Dave [Filoni, Lucasfilm’s Chief Creative Officer and co-creator of The Mandalorian], that’s when I started learning. “Oh, she’s a Nightsister?” I understood even from the audition sides that this was a woman who was a conqueror, and that she was definitely resilient… and somewhat of a bully, in her later evolution. But I think it was down to her having to survive and being misunderstood.

The people I really leaned on and their work… there was Timothy Zahn, with all his books—because I figured there must be something that she has in common with the people that circle around Thrawn. The second important person I leaned on was E. Anne Convery [a writer in the Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark anthology], where she writes about the Nightsisters in her short story “Bug.” That was very instrumental for me to understand her better. I didn’t even know if Morgan, back then, was there to see what happened to her people—I just had to find out what was the culture, and the heritage, that she’d been a part of. And it’s going to be interesting because [in Tales] we’re going to learn more about all these other clans that were there on Dathomir too.

Image: Lucasfilm

io9: Part of what has defined Morgan so much for people is the physicality you’ve imbued her with. What was it like for you to transition away a little from that side of her now that you’re potraying her primarily through your voice?

Inosanto: I remember watching the behind the scenes [of The Mandalorian], of Pedro [Pascal] doing the voice of Mando, and I saw his physicality there. To me, when I’m in that recording booth, it’s still the same thing: I’m still locked up in my actor’s bubble, and I will do anything everything. I’ll get the breathing down, I’ll jump in place, I’ll move, I’ll grunt, to get everything right!

But my hat goes off to the Lucasfilm animation team—I met with them several weeks ago and I was stunned at the martial arts [on display in the animation]. Steward Lee [Lucasfilm animation director], who ironically had met my godfather [famed martial artist Bruce Lee] as a child, really loves martial arts. Several of the team members that were just on the fight scenes for Tales alone had an understanding of martial arts, and they studied videos of me on YouTube, as well as my fight scenes in Mandalorian and Ahsoka—and there’s some homages to my godfather, and my father. I think it’s an amazing compliment when people come to me just having watched the trailer alone, with the fight scenes, and they go, “Did you do mocap?” They think it’s actually me—that’s an idea of the sophistication of the animation.

io9: In Tales we get to see Morgan, as her story progresses, her meeting with Thrawn for the first time. Having established their relationship in Ahsoka, what was it like to play that moment for you?

Inosanto: I love that scene with Thrawn—especially because in some ways, they’re both considered outsiders in the Empire, right? They’re two very highly intelligent people who have their specific goals.

Lars [Mikkelsen] does such an amazing job as Thrawn, so it’s really easy to all of a sudden disappear into the space with him. When I recorded, I wasn’t with Lars, but I’d had enough time with him on Ahsoka to know and hear his voice in my head—and it came out, I feel, beautifully, in that moment, with him, and the whole Lucasfilm animation team, how they put it all so swiftly and smoothly together.

io9: Ahsoka gave us Morgan’s untimely end, and now Tales has brought us back to parts of her life before we met her in The Mandalorian. What’s a side of Morgan you think hasn’t been explored yet, that you’d love to see in the future?

Inosanto: If there was a chance to see her expressed somewhere in the Star Wars timeline… I always love playing characters that are a little bit vulnerable, and maybe seeing them laying down off on a trail to hell, whatever kind of people they become. That’s why I loved going back particularly to episode one [of Tales], because now you know where her vulnerability came from, her pain and the hurt and how she lost her people. It’s that reflection of her being connected to her roots, and this is really, truly what drives her. Sometimes they say that the most troubled people do what they do because they come from a place of fear and pain—we’re truly seeing a survivor [in Morgan].

And you know, I do love though, in a way, she is a character that just does not forget. She has this whole revenge factor that’s like… wow. [Laughs.] There’s just so much more to explore about this woman. There’s a lot of different shades to her.

Star Wars: Tales of the Empire begins streaming on Disney+ May 4.

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James Whitbrook

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April 30, 2024
Indiana Jones, TLOU 2, And The Week's Hottest Gaming Takes

Screenshot: Square Enix, James Lambert, Bethesda / Xbox, Naughty Dog / Kotaku, Image: Disney / Lucasfilm

After a couple sleepy weeks, the gaming hype train of 2024 is finally moving at full steam. We saw the first major showcase of the year with Xbox’s Developer Direct, dug into The Last of Us Part II Remastered, and oogled MachineGames flamin’ hot digital dupe of ‘80s Harrison Ford. These are the week’s most important previews, reviews, and takes.

Kotaku Staff

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January 20, 2024
Prince of Persia, Last of Us Season 2, And More Of The Week's Hottest Takes

Screenshot: The Pokémon Company / Kotaku

After playing through Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s epilogue I can definitively say I was mostly let down by the Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC. Don’t get me wrong, the “Mochi Mayhem” episode is an hour of silly fun alongside some of the best characters to grace the games’ Paldea region, but it is just that—silly, especially when compared to some of the games’ more memorable moments. – Kenneth Shepard Read More

Kotaku Staff

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January 13, 2024
Kotaku Asks: What Do You Want To See In The Mandalorian And Grogu?

As announced on January 9, another Star Wars film is on the way, one based on The Mandalorian’s dynamic duo: Din “the Mandalorian” Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu, who is not baby Yoda. Titled The Mandalorian And Grogu, it will be directed by Jon Favreau, who helped create the popular Disney+ series upon which it’s based. The project goes into production this year, and the story will likely take place after the events of the third season of the Disney+ show.

You Should Play Grand Theft Auto III Before GTA VI | Total Recall

So, with no release date and a bunch of time on our hands, we here at Kotaku wanted to toss a question to you, dear readers: What do you want to see from this upcoming film?

Read More: New Star Wars Film, The Mandalorian And Grogu, Announced

The Pedro Pascal-led space Western was a smash hit on the Disney streaming platform, garnering billions of minutes of watch time across three seasons. This last season, which many believe wasted one of its main character’s potential, wrapped up in April 2023. Favreau said in early 2023 that there was no ending in sight for the television series, confirming that the fourth season was already written. What we don’t know is if that season has been converted into a movie, or if we’ll get both a new season of The Mandalorian and a feature film.

With Favreau at the helm—and he, Kathleen Kennedy (Andor,

Obi-Wan Kenobi), and Dave Filoni (Ahsoka, The Book of Boba Fett) all producing—what do you think The Mandalorian And Grogu will look like in the theaters? Many believe that this is teeing up Star Wars for an Avengers-like gathering of major characters like Ahsoka, Din, Bo-Katan Kryze, Sabine Wren, Ezra Bridger, Boba Fett, and more, who will combine forces to fight the villainous Grand Admiral Thrawn. Or maybe, the film will unpack the bizarre religion of which Din is a member. What cameos will The Mandalorian and Grogu feature? Who will they de-age this time? Will Pedro Pascal take his helmet off again? Will Grogu stay baby?

Share your wildest Star Wars/The Mandalorian and Grogu theories below.

Levi Winslow

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January 9, 2024
33 Unique, Galactic Gifts for ‘Star Wars’ Fans

“Star Wars” is good about keeping the content churning for fans: the franchise most recently released the highly anticipated third season of “The Mandalorian” in March, with several offshoots already in the works for the coming year, including “Skeleton Crew,” “The Acolyte” and “Lando.”

All the “Star Wars” content also means that there’s always new galactic-themed merch and gadgets to gift the biggest fans in your life. Below are 33 of the most unique, fun and nerdy (in the best way possibe) “Star Wars” goods to gift this year.

Happy Socks x Star Wars

Master Yoda, C-3PO, R2-D2, Chewie, in addition to Darth Vader, Stormtroopers and the Death Star all adorn a new set of colorful and vibrant socks from the cult-favorite brand Happy Socks. Choose your favorite or go for the comprehensive six-pack for the “Star Wars” fan in your life.

BUY NOW: $98

Star Wars Star Trooper Echo Dot (22% Off)

Courtesy of Amazon

The best-selling Echo Dot gets a galactic makeover with this Storm Trooper bundle, which includes a 5th generation of the smart device and a black and white stand designed to look like the iconic Star Wars soldiers.

BUY NOW: ~~$89.98~~ $62.98

Casetify Star Wars Collection

Protect your Airpods the way Din Djarin protects The Child with this Grogu Airpod case, which was the most popular piece in Casetify’s recent Lucasfilm collaboration. The brand’s special May the 4th box also comes with a N-1 Starfighter phone case, designed with a mirror effect that creates a galactic illusion.

BUY NOW: $78

Fossil R2-D2 Dog Tag Necklace (60% Off)

R2-D2 makes his fashion debut with this stylish limited-edition Fossil jewelry collection. This stainless steel necklace features an etched drawing of the astromech droid.

BUY NOW: ~~$85~~ $33.99

Star Wars Silicone Pet Lick Mat

Both cats and dogs alike will enjoy any one of Chewy’s pieces from their extensive Star Wars collection, which includes this Grogu lick mat, in addition to Stormtrooper plush toys, Millennium Falcon teaser cat toys and Death Star fetch tennis ball.

BUY NOW: $3.77

Homesick Death Star Candle

Homesick debuts their first-ever colored vessels with two new “Star Wars”-inspired candles, designed in vibrant packaging that feature illustrations of the franchise’s most iconic moments and fund nods to the series for fans to discover.

“We were honored to have been entrusted to bring the original trilogy to life with the Star Wars collection that we launched last year, and were eager to take on the challenge of evoking fragrances inspired by The Mandalorian,” said Lauren McCord, general manager at Homesick, said in a statement.

BUY NOW: ~~$44~~ $33

Ravensburger Star Wars Strategy Board Game

Courtesy of Ravensburger

In Villainous, you’ll play as an iconic Star Wars Villain. Choose Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, General Grievous, Asajj Ventress, or Moff Gideon. Each Villain has a unique objective and abilities. Meddle with your opponents by forcing them to face off against Jedi and heroes like Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and The Mandalorian.

buy-now title=”Ravensburger Star Wars Strategy Board Game” asin=”B09XP2W4SM” button_type=”amazon”/]

MeUndies Star Wars Boxer Briefs

Grogu is printed on everything from boxer briefs to bralettes in this limited-edition Star Wars collection from MeUndies.

BUY NOW: $26

Star Wars: The High Republic

Courtesy of Amazon

In this bestselling Star Wars book series, Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland travel back to the High Republic 150 years before the storytelling of Phase 1.

BUY NOW: ~~$17.99~~ $9.89

The Razor Crest Lego Set

Measuring over 28 inches, this “Mandalorian”-inspired Razor Crest, which released earlier this month, includes huge engines that lift off for easing viewing, a detailed interior, a removable cockpit that allows access to the sleeping quarters. Plus, the 6,187-piece set has side hatches and a cargo compartment with a weapons cabinet, a mini-figure sized freezing chamber and a detachable escape pod.Check out more pop-culture inspired Lego sets here.

BUY NOW: $599.99

Dark Side Ply Snowboard

Snowboard in galactic style with this brand new collaboration between “Star Wars” and DC Snowboarding. The limited-edition capsule includes this Side Ply Snowboard, done up with vintage artwork from the original trilogy.

BUY NOW: $429.95

Mug With Darth Vader Lid

This mug features artwork of all your favorite “Star Wars” characters such as C-3PO, R2-D2, Chewbacca, Han Solo and Princess Laila, in addition to a cheeky Darth Vader peeking out of the lid.

BUY NOW: $29.95

Death Star Popcorn Popper (17% Off)

That’s no moon, it’s a popcorn maker! This popcorn-making Death Star uses hot air (no oil) to deliver a freshly popped snack. The machine has a 98% popping rate, so there shouldn’t be that many leftover kernels. The metal top doubles as a bowl.

Death Star Popcorn Maker $59.99

Jedi Chalenges AR Headset (25% Off)

The closest you’ll ever get to a true lightsaber battle is with this immersive AR headset, which transports you to the outer-rim planet of Batuu as you take on menacing villains from the dark side. Face off in 1-on-1 battles, defeat waves of enemy troops and train your mind in games of intense concentration and strategy, as first seen in the episode “A New Hope.”

Jedi Challenges AR Headset $99.00

‘Star Wars Art’ by Ralph McQuarrie (47% Off)

The most famous artist in the history of “Star Wars,” Ralph McQuarrie worked hand in hand with George Lucas in creating the saga’s distinct visual aesthetic, in addition to designing iconic characters such as Darth Vader and R2-D2. This comprehensive compendium is the most definitive collection of the artist’s work for “Star Wars,” including hundreds of never-before-seen illustrations and dozens of unpublished interviews.

Star Wars Art by Ralph McQuarrie ~~$300.00~~ $150.00

‘In a Galaxy Far, Far Away: A History from the Pages of the New York Times’

Old media and “Star Wars” fans alike will appreciate this innovative booklet, packed with the famed newspaper’s coverage starting four years before the first film was released. From full color ads for the franchise, interviews with its makers and stars and reports on the development of all the films, leatherette covered book is an informative and thoroughly entertaining coffee table book. Here, check out more coffee table books for film and TV lovers.

BUY NOW: $80

Death Star Circo Wood Cheese Board With Tool

Your charcuterie platter becomes a lot cooler with this wooden set designed to the likeness of the “Star Wars” Death Star. The set comes with four assorted full-tang cheese tools and more than 81 inches of surface for cutting and serving.

BUY NOW: $44.99

‘Galaxy’s Edge: The Official Black Spire Outpost Cookbook’

Join renowned intergalactic chef Strono “Cookie” Tuggs in this collection of some of the best cuisine from Black Spire Outpost. The unique volume features seventy recipes inspired by the “Star Wars” universe, such as Braised Shaak Roast, Nerf Kababs and Mustafarian Lava Buns. Check out more cookbooks inspired by TV shows and movies here.

Galaxy’s Edge: The Official Black Spire Outpost Cookbook ~~$35.00~~ $19.25

‘Star Wars’ Corkcicle Tumbler

Corkcicle’s luxury water bottlers are given the “Star Wars” treatment in this limited-edition collection, which features six sleek designs inspired by the intergalactic saga. Choose between the canteen, tumbler or stemless bottle depending on your drinking needs, each featuring a screw-on cap, stay-put silicone bottom and signature flat sides.

BUY NOW: $37.95

‘Star Wars’ Enso Silicone Rings

Enso’s “Star Wars” collection is one of their best ring sets yet. The box comes with six rings, each designed with different iconic characters such as Yoda and Darth Vader.

BUY NOW: $200

Lightsaber Electric Salt and Pepper Mill Grinder

Any “Star Wars”-loving chef will appreciate this adorable salt and pepper set, designed to look like the power-wielding lightsabers. The high-tech pieces grind pepper and salt with the touch of a button, using batteries to light up while dispensing your flavoring.

Star Wars Lightsaber Electric Salt and Pepper Mill Grinder $39.99

Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (20% Off)

For true collectors, this is it: the entire “Star Wars” saga in one box set. Follow the series from “Star Wars: A New Hope” all the way to “Star Wars: The Rise of the Skywalker” (the order in which you choose to watch these films is entirely up to you). The set includes every episodic film in 4K Ultra HD/Blu-Ray and digital copies from the Skywalker saga (“Episode I” through “Episode IX”). This excludes the standalone movies (“Solo” and “Rogue One” are not included). Included with each film is a bonus disc that features behind-the-scenes looks, deleted scenes, trailers, interviews and the “Skywalker Saga” documentary. The set also includes an art book, digital codes for each film and a letter from Mark Hamill.

Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga $77.14

The classic Death Star design is imprinted on this three-part grinder, crafted with stainless steel teeth and a cover magnet to ensure your herbs and spices stay fresher longer.

‘Star Wars’ Pinball Machine ($150 Off)

Instead of t-shirts and posters, what about a vintage-inspired pinball machine? Covered in the art from comic book artist Randy Martinez (an official artist of Lucasfilm), this is a piece of fandom that everyone can share. The classic game has the traditional flippers and bumpers, three stand-up targets and five drop targets, as well as custom “Star Wars”-themed elements including a toy Death Star and a molded TIE Fighter.

Star Wars Pinball Machine $1,090.99

Monopoly: ‘Star Wars’ Edition

The classic buying and selling game gets an intergalactic update with this “Star Wars”-themed board. This officially licensed product swaps hotels for iconic “Star Wars” locations, like Hoth, Tatooine and Kashyyyk. The set includes four ship tokens, 64 property markers, 16 Chance cards and one money pack. Players can also use “the Force” to broker deals to collect extra money. The specially designed box folds up into a handy carrying case, ready for you to take to your next holiday party.

Star Wars Monopoly $42.79

Star Wars: Tales From the Galaxy’s Edge

Did the pandemic halt your plans to visit Disneyland or Disney World’s Galaxy’s Edge? Have faith young padawan, all you need is the Oculus Quest 2 paired with the “Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge” experience, and you’ll be inside the galaxy far, far away from the comfort of your home. The brand new Oculus platform will be dropping this holiday season and due to the lower storage capabilities, Oculus has dropped the price down considerably.

“Galaxy’s Edge” takes players to planet Batuu so they can explore the cantina, the outer lands and even run into some familiar faces. You’ll join classic characters like R2-D2 and C-3PO (voiced by the original “Star Wars” actor Anthony Daniels) to fight off Guavian Death Gang cell leader Tara Rashin (Debra Wilson) and even the odd flying creature. Additional characters you’ll interact with include Seezelslak (voiced by Bobby Moynihan) and Jedi Master Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz). Lucasfilm’s immersive entertainment experience “Galaxy’s Edge” is currently available on the Oculus Quest platform priced at $24.99.

Oculus Quest 2 ~~$299.99~~ $249.00

Star Wars Etched Glasses

Sip in imperial style with these galactic cocktail glasses, etched one side with Darth Vader’s mask. The pair comes with sculptural slow-melting silicone molds for Darth Vader-shaped ice cubes.

BUY NOW: ~~$849~~ $44.95

Star Wars: Han Solo in Carbonite Silicone Ice Tray

Courtesy of Amazon

Freeze your own miniature Han Solos in ice with this molded silicone ice cube tray. Be the cleverest fan that ever lived and serve Han, on ice, at your next socially distanced “Star Wars” viewing party. Or make clever chocolate molds each with their own Harrison Ford trapped beneath the chocolatey goodness. The tray offers six small compartments and one large Solo mold.

Frozen Han Solo Ice Molds $8.99

Optical Illusion Color-Changing Side Table Lights

Courtesy of Amazon

Let your light shine through the dark side with this 3-D effect table lamp. The flat acrylic plate creates a hologram-like image, while you can switch between seven color settings and two different lighting modes. Plug it into a USB charger to keep it powered (no bulbs or batteries needed). This lamp makes a great addition to your desk, bedside table, living room table or bookshelf. Choose from four different “Star Wars” character plates, including Baby Yoda, Darth Vader, Millennium Falcon and R2-D2.

Star Wars Night Light $27.98

‘The World According to Star Wars’ (20% Off)

It may take place in a galaxy far, far away, but there are a lot of lessons we can glean from “Star Wars” in our everyday lives as well. This “New York Times” best-seller explores topics like family, rebellion and redemption, as it pertains to the hit film franchise, and our current society. It also touches on themes of power and political dynamics, using “Star Wars” to illustrate why some people are born to succeed — while others are set up to fail. A surprisingly stimulating read, “The World According to Star Wars” will help you see one of the most popular stories of all time in a whole new way.

The World According to Star Wars ~~$23.99~~ $14.99

‘Star Wars:’ The Visual Encyclopedia

One of the best-selling movie compendiums available, this book is your ultimate visual guide into the characters, vehicles, weapons, planets and more from the entire “Star Wars” universe. More than 2500 images are featured, alongside obscure facts, timelines, and a breakdown of everything from galactic politics to inter-planetary relationships. A great addition to any fan’s bookshelf. For more book suggestions check out our coffee table book gift guide.

‘Star Wars’ The Visual Encyclopedia $21.49

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December 5, 2023
What Is Going On in Din Djarin's Love Life?

The Mandalorian season 3 brought up plenty of fan theories, questions, and more. One major question was whether or not something was going on between Bo-Katan Kryze and Din Djarin—romantically, of course.

As someone who would love to see Din in love with Bo-Katan (or with Cobb Vanth), I’m into the idea. Rumors were flying when there was speculation that a scene was cut that depicted Bo-Katan and Din kissing each other. But recently, while talking to The Direct, star Katee Sackhoff talked about shipping with the fandom and what it means for the future of the series.

When asked about the possibility of a romance between Din Djarin and Bo-Katan in the series, whether in a cut scene from season 3 or the future of the show, Sackhoff seemed to make it clear that nothing is going on between the characters. The cut scene was instead just some fun between herself and Brendan Wayne, who is one of the actors who brings Din to life in the Mandalorian armor on set.

“I think that there’s probably just as much speculation in the shipping of The Armorer and Bo-Katan,” Sackhoff joked to The Direct. “I think that anytime you put a woman and a man on screen together, it’s bound to happen. I think that that’s just one of those things, that speculation that people enjoy. But no, nothing more than just joking around between myself and Brendan Wayne at work, so no.”

That is, as far as I can see, just simply talking about the rumors that are out there. That doesn’t mean that we can’t even hope for a romance, right? Or at least see what will happen in future seasons of the show between Bo-Katan and Din?

Never say never though?

(Disney+)

Shipping is part of the game with shows, and no, I don’t think that we will ever get Din Djarin in a relationship. That’s just not who Din is as a character. Still, that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the excitement and the fun of shipping. Which I do think is what Sackhoff is saying. Sackhoff and Wayne were having fun on set. It then became a thing online. People speculated it was a storyline in the show when it wasn’t, and now here we are.

It’s clear that there isn’t a romance on paper between Bo-Katan and Din—right now, at least—and this makes sense. Personally, I don’t think that means there could never be, but I also don’t think the show would go there with a character like this. Some characters in the Star Wars universe are not meant to fall in love and live happily ever after. Din Djarin might be my beloved and my husband, but I don’t think that he’s going to settle down any time soon, except maybe to enroll Grogu in a nice school.

So Sackhoff making it clear there is nothing between Din and Bo-Katan doesn’t exactly erase my hopes because they weren’t really there to begin with. If Din ever did actually find love? I’d be very happy for him! I just don’t think that’s where the show would take his character. If it did, I bet Cobb Vanth would happily accept him with open arms.

(featured image: Disney+)

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

Rachel Leishman

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December 5, 2023
Pedro Pascal Reveals How Much He’s Under the Mandalorian’s Helmet

Pedro Pascal is an extremely sought-after actor right now, as evidenced by his being in two of the biggest shows on TV at the moment, The Mandalorian on Disney+ and The Last of Us on HBO. How does he do it?

Well, with the power of a little something called voiceover. Since Pascal obviously can’t be in two places at once, he has to be very deliberate with his time. When The Mandalorian first started, Pascal was on set much more often than he is now. In fact, in Season 3, there are no moments where Mando appears without his helmet — in other words, no scenes where Pascal actually had to show up on set. That means that his body and stunt doubles (Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder) are able to pick up the slack in the meantime. This allows him to play the lead characters in two different shows.

THE MANDALORIAN, Season 3
Lucasfilm Ltd.

READ MORE: Why It’s Taking So Long to Get a New Star Wars Movie

During a roundtable interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Pascal talked about about exactly how The Mandalorian arrived at the point where he is predominantly a voice coming out of other actors’ bodies:

There was an extended amount of experimentation, being in the suit for a lot of it, and frankly, my body wasn’t up for the task as far as, like, the four months of it. But I was in it. I was in it a significant amount, an elastic amount. But now we’ve figured it out, which is super cool, and amazingly, it gave me the opportunity to be able to go and do something else.

Pascal also shared the fact that he really admired Wayne and Crowder’s physical performance in The Mandalorian. He explained that he wouldn’t have changed a single thing about how he approached Din Djarin.

Sign up for Disney+ here.

All the Unanswered Questions After The Mandalorian Season 3

It was an interesting season of The Mandalorian, but it also left us with a lot of questions about the future of Star Wars.

Cody Mcintosh

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May 24, 2023
Ahmed Best’s Jedi May Return to ‘The Mandalorian‘

Just a little piece of Star Wars lore for you… The same actor who played Jar Jar Binks also helped Grogu escape the ravages of Order 66. (It’s a lot for us to take in too.)

Ahmed Best received an outrageous amount of fan hate during his early days in the Star Wars franchise. JarJar was not well-received by a lot of older die-hard fans. Then again, he’s really no sillier than anything from the Star Wars Christmas Special. Since those goofy elements have always kind of existed in the franchise, some people think Jar Jar should get a pass. Some think the character should be rehabilitated somehow. Maybe he should even get his own arc. In a way, he has.

Ahmed Best returned to Star Wars for a brief cameo during the most recent season of The Mandalorian, playing a Jedi Master called Kelleren Beq. He was instrumental in allowing the youngling Grogu to escape after Emperor Palpatine ordered his minions to assassinate the Jedi Order. Without Beq, Grogu likely would have fallen victim to Anakin or one of the Clone Troopers. Best previously played Kelleren as the host of a TV game show called Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge.

Kelleren Beq from Jedi Temple Challenge
Disney

READ MORE: The Weirdest Star Wars Toys of All Time

Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau recently sat down with Dagobah Dispatch, an Entertainment Weekly podcast. When asked if it’s possible that Best would reprise his role as Kelleren Beq, they had some interesting responses. Filoni said:

It’s always a possibility. We love Ahmed, and he did such a great job. It was a real thrill for us to get him involved. We talked with him about it, We come up with these ideas and we think: ‘Who might work with it?’ We make sure before we get too far to bring them into the process, so it’s not just like, ‘Here’s who you’re going to play.’ It’s like, ‘What do you think of this? We want you to be this person. What are your thoughts on it?’

Favreau then chimed in…

He had done a lot of work on that character of Kelleran Beq for Jedi Temple Challenge…So he’s been involved with Star Wars all the way through and definitely had formulated this character. And we love to draw from all of Star Wars, and even things that aren’t canon. If they feel right, we’ll pull ’em in. And now that character exists squarely in Star Wars canon.

We’ll see whether Beq returns in a future episode of The Mandalorian or some other Star Wars Disney+ series.

Sign up for Disney+ here.

All the Unanswered Questions After The Mandalorian Season 3

It was an interesting season of The Mandalorian, but it also left us with a lot of questions about the future of Star Wars.

Cody Mcintosh

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May 12, 2023
Ron DeSantis Ends Disney Feud After Being Given Guest Role On ‘The Mandalorian’

TALLAHASSEE, FL—Saying he was happy to finally bury the hatchet with the major corporation after months of difficult dialogue, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday that he had ended his feud with Disney after being given a guest role on The Mandalorian. “I couldn’t be more excited to let bygones be bygones and announce my one-episode stint as Imperial Moff Rego Thalcyon,” DeSantis said of the guest appearance, which consists solely of him delivering the line “Yes, most acceptable” with his arms crossed behind his back as he dispatches an imperial guard to attack a gang of intruders. “Obviously, I never wanted my differences with Disney to spiral out of control like this. So, yeah, it was a blast to spend some time on set, even if it was only for a day. They even let me take a selfie with Pedro [Pascal] and the Grogu puppet. Anyway, check me out on Apr. 19 when the episode airs! And may the force be with you.” At press time, DeSantis was reportedly furious after learning his guest role had been cut for time.

Ron DeSantis Introduces New Son Barron Trump

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April 18, 2023
There’s a Place In the World For The Angry Young Mandalorian

“I walked away from that fight bloodied and whiplashed.” That’s Simon Kassianides describing the return of his character, Axe Woves, in the latest chapter of The Mandalorian. Nonetheless, the actor sees it as a triumphant comeback, since the masked warriors see no disgrace in a fair fight. His character had already given up on his values—and in the Mandalorian ethos that’s a much greater source of shame.

Kassianides’ return underscores how season three of the Star Wars series has become a tale of pride and redemption, in this instance for an entire society that has been bloodied and whiplashed. The Mandalorians are a displaced people whose home planet was decimated and poisoned by the Empire in an act of genocide known as The Purge. Pedro Pascal’s character, Din Jarin, has since discovered that their homeworld is habitable again after many years, and Woves’ return in episode six is part of his quest to find other Mandalorians willing to return.

Kassianides, best known for the 007 film Quantum of Solace and Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series, does not play a go-along, get-along type in The Mandalorian. He has his back up against the wall and refuses to bend—or crawl—based on the expectations of others.

His climactic battle in the new episode occurs after he initially resists Katee Sackhoff’s Bo Katan, the Moses-like Mandalorian leader trying to lead Jarin and the rest of their people home. Woves and Katan used to be allies, but Woves lost faith in her, taking most of her followers with him to work as paid muscle in the lawless parts of the galaxy, enforcing the will of the wealthy—in this case serving as a privateer army for two decadent royals (played by none other than Jack Black and Lizzo) on an extravagant world called Plazir.

It’s a lucrative life, but not exactly a dignified one for Woves. “When you meet him, he’s absolutely disillusioned in terms of, ‘It’s money. It’s fine. This is our future now,’” Kassianides tells Vanity Fair in an exclusive post-episode interview. “I don’t think he is very happy about it.”

Pascal and Sackhoff’s characters want Woves and his army to join with them, but Kassianides’ stubborn mercenary expects her to fight him for control. “I imagined he lost a lot of loved ones during The Purge and uses his pain to fuel his attacks,” Kassianides says. “He’s a natural leader in his own right, evident in the army of Mandalorians who’ve now chosen to follow him as mercenaries rather than stay loyal to Bo Katan. It’s also evident in how fierce his and Bo’s fight is. They do not hold back, something Katee and I were passionate about.”

Their week-long experience shooting that sequence for director Bryce Dallas Howard was also punishing. “I mean, we’re flying all over the set. It’s brutal. There’s jet packs, we are in the air, we’re colliding into the ships. It’s no small fight and we each hold our ground until the end,” Kassianides says.

Anthony Breznican

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April 5, 2023
Pedro Pascal Is Daddy Of The Year

What is there to say about Pedro Pascal that hasn’t been said already? The star has been around for over two decades now, but there’s been a recent fervent love burning in the hearts of millions across the globe for The Mandalorian. There are currently 885,000 videos on TikTok under the sound “Hey Sexy Lady” by Shaggy – with half of those videos dedicated to slo-mo Pedro in his new shows.

And yes, you’ve heard of White Boy Of The Month, but let’s introduce you to Daddy Of The Year. Pedro Pascal made a name for himself as Oberlyn Martell in Game of Thrones and Javier Peña in Narcos, but his roles as the titular character in Disney+’s The Mandalorian and Joel in HBO Max’s wildly popular The Last Of Us have catapulted him into full-blown stardom.

The Last Of Us is just another cog in HBO’s mega-famous show machine. It joins shows like Euphoria and Succession, breaking streaming records and garnering a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. It follows Joel (Pascal) in an apocalyptic post-pandemic world in which he’s in charge of smuggling a young girl across the country.

It’s a role that isn’t technically unfamiliar to Pascal, who also plays a father figure in The Mandalorian. It’s why so many of his fans have cheekily nicknamed him “Daddy,” a playful jest at his character arcs as well as his good looks and exciting fashion sense. He’s the reluctant father on your screen, and the handsome, funny star on the red carpet. Fans eat him up.

But what fans love most about Pascal is that he fully embraces this new obsession with his every move. In an interview with Vanity Fair, he even says, “Daddy is a state of mind, you know? I’m your Daddy.” But that’s not all, the people’s heartthrob took to the red carpet to reiterate his sentiments. He tells Entertainment Tonight in all seriousness, “I’m your cool, slutty daddy.”

And it’s not just his quick wit in interviews, but his style. Pedro Pascal has quickly emerged as a style icon for us all, thanks to stylist Julie Ragolia. We’ve watched him devour looks from a yellow Gucci cardigan wrapped around his shoulders or a crochet sweater paired with red trouser pants. He’s become a case study for style, humility, and personality among celebrities.

The world can’t get enough of Pedro Pascal, and neither can we. Here are our favorite red carpet looks to keep the fire lit.

Pedro In Gucci

Pedro Pascal

John Salangsang/Shutterstock

There’s something so fatherly about this look, yet it still includes a few elevated features to make it less frumpy and more fashion. Starting with the oversized gray tailored suit pants, fitted just enough to cinch at the waist. But the star of the show is the yellow button-down paired with a monochromatic cardigan thrown effortlessly over his shoulders like he’s attending brunch at the golf club. It’s rich, elegant, and just polished enough.

All Hail The Cardigan

Pedro Pascal

David Fisher/Shutterstock

I love how Julie Ragolia incorporates color into Pedro’s wardrobe. A pop of red with the trouser pant – again, oversized – and the brown crochet cardi make for an easy look that still stands out. For Pascal, his looks blend comfort with relevant trends like knitwear. They’re also easy looks for any man to recreate, and not too out-of-the-box.

The Two-Toned SSBD

Troy Baker, Ashley Johnson, Bella Ramsey, Pedro Pascal

Scott Kirkland/PictureGroup for The Game Awards/Shutterstock

Every man needs a good SSBD – short sleeve button down – but not all men have them. Sure, the Hawaiian shirt is overdone and often a bit tacky, but this chaotically patterned ensemble somehow works with Pascal. The rest of the look is simple: black slacks and black-rimmed glasses. Let the shirt do the talking.

Monochrome Moments

Pedro Pascal

Marion Curtis/StarPix for Lionsgate/Shutterstock

Reminiscent of prom in the 80’s, the white tuxedo is something most men consider at one point in their lives. This opalescent white tux on Pedro paired with an off-white loafer with black accents is the way to go. It’s simple, yet elegant.

Jai Phillips

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March 22, 2023
The Last Of Us Season 2 Better Make Abby Ripped, God Dammit

The first season of The Last of Us, the undeniable smash-hit HBO series based on the video game of the same name, has ended. And though the discourse about the controversial ending rages on, people are already looking ahead to season two, which will introduce one of the most infamous characters in the series: Abby Anderson and her incredibly toned arms.

Read More: The Last Of Us Season Two: Everything We Know

When The Last of Us Part II first released back in June 2020, gamers had meltdowns over Abby for two key reasons: She enacts some seriously brutal revenge and she is incredibly ripped. I’m talking biceps the size of my head, defined triceps, and strong shoulders—all things that make the dark dude corners of Reddit very scared and very angry about being so scared. In the weeks that followed, gamers stretched so hard to prove she couldn’t be that muscular that they pulled mental muscles, proving yet again that the game industry cannot handle women in any size, shape, or form.

The She-Hulk Fiasco

I’d like a little more She-Bulk in my She-Hulk, please.
Image: Marvel / Disney

But it’s not just the game industry, as proven time and time again by the dearth of women superheroes built like Victoria’s Secret models. Does Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman look like she can do anything other than strut and make mealy-mouthed comments on the Israeli-Palestine conflict? Is Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow capable of pulling off gymnastic stunts when she’s wearing a SKIMS waist trainer under a leather catsuit?

Sure, we all went nuts when Natalie Portman actually got buff for Thor: Love and Thunder, but remember how they nerfed She-Hulk’s muscles for the Marvel’s She-Hulk series? When the CGI version of actor Tatiana Maslany (who plays Jennifer Walters) was shown to be rather diminutive in comparison to Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, fans went, justifiably, apeshit. Where are the rear delts, where are the traps? Why does she look, as one person put it, like “she’s running for congress to stop the socialists from taking YOUR guns.”

In an Entertainment Weekly interview, She-Hulk executive producer Kat Coiro responded to rumors that “Marvel requested She-Hulk’s muscles be made smaller,” saying that She-Hulk didn’t need to be all that big, actually.

We honestly talked about strength more than aesthetics. We studied musculature and we studied women athletes who were incredibly strong. We really leaned towards Olympians rather than bodybuilders. That’s where a lot of our body references came from, very strong Olympic athletes. So she doesn’t have a bodybuilder’s physique, but she absolutely has a very strong physique that can justify the actions that she does in the show. I think people expected a bodybuilder and for her to have these big, massive muscles but she looks more like Olympians.

Unfortunately, until recently, one of the few examples of a muscular woman in modern media was MMA-fighter-turned-actor Gina Carano as Cara Dune on The Mandalorian. Her arms were absolutely gigantic, exploding out from her chest armor with purpose. She dwarfed every other person sharing a scene with her. Sadly, Carano came out as a transphobe and a covid pandemic anti-masker, so she got the boot, and I worried I’d never see someone built like her on TV or in movies again.

Mandalorian muscle mommies

This is the way: Cast more muscular femmes in TV shows and movies.
Image: Katy O’Brian on Instagram / Kotaku

Thankfully, Katy O’Brian came to the rescue. Though she’s only briefly in The Mandalorian season 2, she returns as a major character in the third season, and yes, we do get to see her arms. In fact, her muscles are so prominent that fans of the series already made an apt comparison, tweeting that O’Brian, an actor and martial artist, should play Abby in The Last of Us season 2.

It’s certainly not a far stretch. Though Abby is voiced by Laura Bailey and has the face of former Naughty Dog dev Jocelyn Mettler, her body double is CrossFit athlete and former collegiate swimmer Colleen Fotsch, who looks like she could pick me (a pretty muscular woman) up with one arm and wield me like a baseball bat. Fotsch, who did not respond to Kotaku’s request for comment, has a litany of YouTube videos showing off workout routines—and considering she’s currently a data analyst by trade, she’s proof that women can be muscle mommies while also living fulfilled NARP (non-athletic regular people) lives.

Casting an actor who is athletically inclined and already ripped up like a bad report card as Abby in The Last of Us season two makes a ton of sense—though I find myself longing to see a wild bulk-up of an actor not already built like a brick shithouse. But also, I just want to see more muscular women in movies and television, guys. I don’t really care how they get there, I just want them there, muscles rippling like coiled snakes under their skin.

The Last of Us fans think the series has found its Abby in actor Shannon Berry, known for her role as Dot in The Wilds series. Berry certainly looks like Abby, and if she is indeed our future antagonist, I look forward to seeing her forearms as they wield the golf club that [REDACTED].

Update 3/17/23 at 5:24 p.m. ET: Post updated to clarify Jocelyn Mettler’s job title.

Alyssa Mercante

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March 17, 2023
What Did Baby Yoda See From His Starship Window?

Something in the new episode of The Mandalorian catches the eye of Baby Yoda: giant space whales trailing large tentacles and flying at light speed. So, what were they? The answer is rooted in lore from the animated Star Wars shows—and it also lays some important groundwork for the upcoming Ahsoka series, starring Rosario Dawson.

When the space whales appeared onscreen at The Mandalorian‘s season three premiere in Los Angeles Tuesday night, a woman in the balcony let out a loud cheer that started a round of applause. The woman was Dawson herself. (Vanity Fair was sitting nearby.) Here’s how it all ties together …

The creatures are called purrgil; they have a front that looks like a sperm whale, and a back end made of tentacles like a giant squid. Although clearly inspired by aquatic life, these entities can fly through the atmosphere of a planet, and also have the extraordinary natural ability to shoot off through the cosmos at the speed of light.

The purrgil first appeared seven years ago in an episode from season two of the animated Rebels series. The central hero of Rebels, a young Force-sensitive revolutionary named Ezra Bridger, spots a pod of them as they swarm his crew’s starship. Pilot Hera Syndulla wants to blast them as they bump across their craft, while the Jedi Kanan Jarrus urges her to hold off and “let them do what they do.” She answers: “What they do is destroy starships like ours.”

Ezra, whose Force abilities may help him establish a connection with the natural world, offers them the solution that saves the day: “Try flying with them instead of against them.” The pod of purrgil move them off course, but the ship flies freely. Ezra establishes a Force-bond with the leader of the pod, who alerts him that Imperial tie-fighters are moving in for an attack.

Hera, who was glimpsed from behind briefly in a teaser for the Ahsoka series at the Star Wars Celebration convention last year, later tells Ezra that the purrgil ability to fly faster than lights peed is what first inspired pilots to devise ships that could do the same.

Dave Filoni, executive producer of The Mandalorian and the creator of Rebels, has a history of introducing lifeforms beyond humans and humanoid aliens who have a connection to the Force. His introduction of the purrgil hyperspeed ability is another example.

Filoni first brought the creatures back into Rebels in the final episode of the series, in which Ezra battles the blue-skinned Imperial military leader known as Grand Admiral Thrawn aboard a Star Destroyer. Ezra uses the Force to summon a pod of purrgil, who latch their tentacles around the vessel and then pull it away into deep space—along with Ezra. The series concludes with Ahsoka Tano and the Mandalorian rebel Sabine Wren embarking on a quest to find out if their friend is still out there somewhere.

Anthony Breznican

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March 1, 2023
Baby Yoda’s Badass Powers Grow In New Trailer For ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3

“The Mandalorian” is back for its third season, and a new trailer released during Monday night’s NFL playoff game shows how little Grogu’s powers may be growing.

The new season of the show set in the Star Wars universe, which kicks off March 1 on Disney+, takes place after the events of last year’s “Book of Boba Fett.” In that series, Grogu ― aka The Child, aka Baby Yoda ― quit his Jedi training with Luke Skywalker to rejoin space daddy Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal).

“Being a Mandalorian’s not just learning about how to fight,” Din explains to Grogu in the trailer. “You also have to know how to navigate the galaxy. That way, you’ll never be lost.”

The two head off to the ruined planet of Mandalore, where Mando hopes to redeem himself for the transgression of taking off his helmet. The trailer also shows lightsaber-wielding Jedi facing some unseen menace, a cantina for droids, a Kowakian monkey-lizard and oodles of Mandalorians… ending with Baby Yoda making short work of a creature with ill intentions.

Grogu has shown off some serious power before, but it usually leaves him drained.

In this case, however, he appears to emerge from the encounter no worse for the wear, at least in the quick clip shown in the teaser.

See the full trailer below:

Season 3 will also feature series holdovers Katee Sackhoff as Bo-Katan, Carl Weathers as Greef Karga, Giancarlo Esposito as Moff Gideon and Amy Sedaris as Peli Motto. Christopher Lloyd will also appear in a still-unknown guest role.

It’s also a safe bet that fans may see Rosario Dawson return as Ahsoka Tano ahead of the launch of her own series later this year.

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January 17, 2023