--- description: The Disney+ series will center on a gunslinger after the events of 'The Last Jedi,' according to star Pedro Pascal and writer Jon Favreau. title: Everything We Know About the 'Star Wars' TV Show 'The Mandalorian' image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc1af17bbc7f2124b/6989481016d88450b5c34e6a/mandalorian-disney-plus.png?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Television](/tag/television/) ## Television Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Everything We Know About the _Star Wars_ TV Show _The Mandalorian_  by [Eliana Dockterman](/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Correspondent Updated: Dec 12, 2023 11:58 PM CUTPublished: Apr 14, 2019 7:12 PM CUT  Pedro Pascal as Mando in The Mandalorian Pedro Pascal as Mando in The MandalorianDisney/Lucasfilm  by [Eliana Dockterman](/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Correspondent Updated: Dec 12, 2023 11:58 PM CUTPublished: Apr 14, 2019 7:12 PM CUT LucasFilm has dropped two [trailers](https://time.com/5657961/the-mandalorian-trailer-second-by-second-breakdown/ "undefined") for the _Star Wars_ live-action series _The Mandalorian_, which will premiere on Nov. 12 on Disney’s new streaming service, Disney+. Jon Favreau, who directed _Iron Man_ and [_The Lion King_](https://time.com/5624607/the-lion-king-live-action-review/ "undefined")_,_ created the _Star Wars_ spinoff and introduced the first footage onstage at Disney’s annual D23 Conference in Anaheim. He said he drew inspiration from old samurai movies or Westerns about heroes operating in a lawless world. The titular bounty hunter hails from the same planet as the uber-popular _Star Wars_ character Boba Fett and wears similar armor. The gunslinger will operate at the outer edges of the galaxy following the fall of the Empire in [_Star Wars Episode VI:_ _Return of the Jedi_](http://time.com/4150286/rare-star-wars-polaroids/ "undefined"). Though the Rebellion is celebrating its victory against Emperor Palpatine, much of the galaxy has fallen into chaos without a central government. _The Mandalorian_ is the first major television series that will air on [Disney+](http://time.com/5569477/disney-plus-streaming-netflix-movies-shows/ "undefined"), the streaming service Disney plans to launch Nov. 12\. The series will be eight episodes long and cost a reported $100 million to make. Here’s everything we know so far about _The Mandalorian_. ## What is the plot of _The Mandalorian_? For those unfamiliar with the Mandalorians, they are a race of warriors who featured in _Star Wars: The Clone Wars_. Boba Fett, a bounty hunter who first appeared in the original _Star Wars_ trilogy, was not himself a Mandalore, but he wore their armor for intimidation purposes, as did his father, Jango Fett. Jon Favreau announced on Instagram that the plot of _The Mandalorian_ would focus on a “lone gunfighter” who operates in the far reaches of the galaxy, outside of the New Republic’s reach. The show will be set three years after _Return of the Jedi_, after the fall of the Empire but before the First Order emerges. In both trailers, the gunslinger character, played by Pedro Pascal, gets into several shoot-outs and dogfights with various groups, including the Stormtroopers and Death Troopers who are apparently still out in full force after the fall of the Empire. At least one of those Stormtrooper groups is led by an Empire loyalist played by Giancarlo Esposito. We also see the Mandalorian take a job from an associate played by Carl Weathers in a cantina (similar to _Star Wars Episode IV_‘s Mos Eisley). And at some point, he teams up with a droid called IG-11, likely voiced by Taika Waititi. We never see the Mandalorian’s face in either trailer, nor do we hear his name. It’s likely that his uniform is essential to his identity, and he uses the mask to cover up his morally complicated deeds. This notion is reinforced by the only line uttered in the trailer. A character played by Werner Herzog intones, “Bounty hunting is a complicated profession. Don’t you agree?” While the Mandalorian himself may be neither good or evil, we know that at least one character, played by Gina Carano, used to fight for the Rebel Alliance. While the trailer does not feature any characters that _Star Wars_ fans already know, the show does promise to nod to the main series. There is a shot of an alien frozen in Carbonite, just like Han Solo was at the end of _Empire Strikes Back_. Favreau also revealed behind-the-scenes footage that included the titular Mandalorian riding a Dewback, a giant lizard from Tatooine, which means that the Mandalorian could be visiting Luke’s home planet. It’s also likely that _The Mandalorian_ will ultimately mimic the tone of the original _Star Wars_ trilogy. While Favreau has said this series will explore the “darker, freakier” side of the _Star Wars_ universe, the trailers seem to suggest the morally compromised Mandalorian will get a redemptive storyline. Rumors have swirled over the past year that at least part of the _Mandalorian_ plot will center on the character’s decision to rescue a baby or small child that he’s originally sent to kill. In the first trailer, we see a woman and child cowering in fear, maybe at the Mandalorian himself. But un the second trailer, we see that same woman moving to remove the Mandalorian’s helmet. Perhaps in that human moment, the Mandalorian makes a fateful decision. Ultimately, Dinsey has promoted Disney+ as a kid-friendly platform, and children have long been a key demographic in the _Star Wars_ fandom. Given Disney’s priorities as a company, it’s more likely that the hero of this show hues closer to Han Solo than to Boba Fett. ## When is _The Manadalorian_ being released on Disney+? _The Mandalorian_ will be released on Disney’s streaming service on Nov. 12, the same day Disney+ launches. Disney hopes to take a bite out of Netflix’s market share with its service, which will also include Marvel shows, Pixar spinoffs and live-action remakes of classic Disney films. The studio recently announced that a subscription for the service will cost $6.99 a month. ## What actors are starring in _The Mandalorian_?  Pedro Pascal and Indira Varma in Game of Thrones HBO Pedro Pascal, who played Oberyn Martell on _Game of Thrones_, will star. He will play the titular Mandalorian. Weathers (_Rocky_) has revealed that his character hires Pascal’s mercenary gunslinger to acquire a precious object for him. Gina Carano (_Fast & Furious 6_) will play an ex-rebel shock trooper. Esposito (_Breaking Bad_) plays a villain from the Empire. Taika Waititi voices a droid. Nick Nolte (_48 Hrs._), Emily Swallow (_The Mentalist_) and legendary director Werner Herzog are also in the cast in unknown roles. ## Who is directing _The Mandalorian_? Favreau and Lucasfilm have lined up an impressive slate of directors for the series. Taika Waititi (_Thor: Ragnarok_), Rick Famuyiwa (_Dope_), Deborah Chow (_Jessica Jones_), Dave Giloni (_Star Wars:_ _The Clone Wars_) and Bryce Dallas Howard (star of _Jurassic World_) will each direct an episode. During D23, LucasFilm head Kathleen Kennedy emphasized that the _Star Wars_ TV shows would be of the same high quality as the _Star Wars_ films, which includes investing heavily in directors and special effects. And Favreau [has said](https://twitter.com/DanCasey/status/994758084336627712?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E994758084336627712&ref%5Furl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theverge.com%2F2018%2F5%2F11%2F17344260%2Fstar-wars-series-jon-favreau-live-action-disney-streaming-time-period "undefined") in interviews that he plans to use the same motion-capture technology that he employed while filming _The Jungle Book_ and _The Lion King_ to create the aliens in _The Mandalorian_. ## How does the TV show connect to the _Star Wars_ movies?  In a scene from George Lucas' epic space opera Star Wars, the American actor Harrison Ford as rebel smuggler Han Solo draws a gun against enemies; behind him can be seen a fantastic space shuttle. USA, 1977. Mondadori Portfolio / Getty Images _The Mandalorian_ will take place in the same universe as the three _Star Wars_ trilogies, but don’t expect any cameos from your favorite film characters. So far, Disney’s ventures into prequels, sequels and spinoffs of the _Star Wars_ films have all revolved around the original trilogy of films. _Star Wars: Rogue One_ explained how the Rebels obtained the plans to blow up the first Death Star before _A New Hope_, and _Solo_ told the origin story of Han Solo, one of the main characters of the original movies. But Kennedy [has suggested](https://www.fandango.com/movie-news/exclusive-kathleen-kennedy-on-whether-the-skywalker-saga-will-continue-past-episode-ix-752161?cjid=cj%5F10369448%5F8519045%5F100652X1574804Xcf97975a1281ec027aaba965ac249e23&cjevent=ae406f365c7d11e9823a00aa0a240611 "undefined") that future _Star Wars_ films and shows will move past the Skywalker saga and explore other corners of the universe. _The Mandalorian_ looks to be the first show that takes that mandate to heart. Favreau said at D23 that total _Star Wars_ newbies could enter the show since it operates separately from the main story in another part of the universe — though he also promised the show would be tonally aligned with the films and full of references, easter eggs and connections. ## What other _Star Wars_ TV shows are in the works? _Star Wars: Clone Wars_, an animated series that never got a final season, will return to conclude its story on Disney+. But LucasFilm also has two new, live-action television shows in the works for the streaming service.  Rogue One: A Star Wars Story..L to R: Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) and K-2SO (Alan Tudyk)..Ph: Jonathan Olley..© 2016 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Jonathan Olley—MovieStillsDB Diego Luna, who played Cassian Andor in _Rogue One_, has signed on to star in his own untitled series on Disney+ about the character, set during the early years of the Rebellion.  Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. Twentieth Century Fox/Lucasfilm Ewan McGregor revealed at D23 that he will star in a [Obi-Wan Kenobi television series](https://time.com/5660512/obi-wan-kenobi-tv-show-disney/ "undefined"). McGregor, who played a young version of the Jedi master in the film prequels, _Star Wars: Episodes I, II_ and _III_, has long dodged questions about returning as the iconic character. Disney has remained mum about the details of the series, but Kennedy said the show will begin filming in 2020. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5568726/everything-we-know-star-wars-the-mandalorian/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5568726/everything-we-know-star-wars-the-mandalorian/"},"headline":"Everything We Know About the Star Wars TV Show The Mandalorian","datePublished":"2019-04-14T19:12:42.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-12T23:58:08.000Z","description":"The Disney+ series will center on a gunslinger after the events of 'The Last Jedi'","url":"https://time.com/5568726/everything-we-know-star-wars-the-mandalorian/","keywords":["Television","Star Wars topic","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc1af17bbc7f2124b/6989481016d88450b5c34e6a/mandalorian-disney-plus.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eliana Dockterman","jobTitle":"Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc1af17bbc7f2124b/6989481016d88450b5c34e6a/mandalorian-disney-plus.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Pedro-Pascal-The-Mandalorian","caption":"Pedro Pascal as Mando in The Mandalorian","creditText":"Disney/Lucasfilm","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/television/","name":"Television"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5568726/everything-we-know-star-wars-the-mandalorian/","name":"Everything We Know About the Star Wars TV Show The Mandalorian"}}]}] ```