on screen. Usually, some contrivance is found
to take off the helmet and let the matinée-idol
moneymaker breathe. “I didn’t know how much
the helmet would stay on or come off,” he admits.
“I kind of shot myself in the foot a little bit by
saying that if the helmet does come off, it has
to be earned. Which, I think, sentenced me to
being in it more than I expected.”
But he was entranced by Mando, from the
very first moment he got a look at concept art
for the show. Somehow, he had been summoned
to a meeting with Favreau, but hadn’t been told
specifics. “I got a call from my agent, who said,
‘Jon Favreau wants to meet with you about
somethingStar Wars,’” recalls Pascal. “That’s
a direct quote. So I went along and Jon brings
me into this room covered corner-to-corner
with story images. I turned into a little kid, and
started pointing at this and that. But primary
in all of the images was this character who was
like if Clint Eastwood from a Sergio Leone movie
dressed up like Boba Fett. And, eventually,
I asked them, ‘So...what am I meant to audition
for?’ I had no idea.”
There was to be no audition. One recurring
theme onThe Mandalorianis that Favreau has
handpicked his troops, whether it’s the likes
of Filoni or legendaryStar Warsproduction
designer Doug Chiang or Taika Waititi behind
the camera, or gloriously quirky character actors
such as Pascal, Carl Weathers, Gina Carano,
Werner frickin’ Herzog, and Taika Waititi (again)
in front of it. So Pascal was in as Mando. And
while it’s true that Pascal isn’t the only man
to put the man inThe Mandalorian— three
stuntmen, including John Wayne’s grandson,
Brendan, handle the kicking/punching/
quick-drawing — Favreau wanted him to lay
down a marker for who Mando is supposed
to be. “We wanted to create an identity aroundThe Mandalorianand, first and foremost, that’s
Pedro,” says Favreau. “As we work on it and
revoice it and create the character, there’s
a partnership we have with Pedro over it.”
Even for a Mandalorian, Mando is
a mystery. He’s a loner, living for nothing other
than securing the next bounty. He’s clever.
Resourceful. Useful in a blaster-fight. He says
as little as he can getawaywith in any given
situation. But there’s clearly more to him than
meets the eye. Mando is not, you won’t be
surprised to learn, his real name. So much of who
he is is bound to the Mandalorian code, and to
that helmet. The Mandalorians have many rules,
but chief among them is never take off the
helmet or it’s an instant red card. Only this won’t
result in a three-match suspension, but instant
banishment from the club. The will it/won’t it
question of helmet removal, and the revelation
of Mando’s true name and identity, drives much
of the first season.
As does the show’s central relationship. And
it’s here where Favreau pulled off something
truly remarkable. Because that relationship isClockwise from
top:The
Mandalorian
Armorer (Emily
Swallow) at her
forge; Mando
lays down some
(literal) fire; Carl
Weathers as
guild boss
Greef Karga.❯