'The Mandalorian': What to expect from season 2 of the Disney+ 'Star Wars' show

Finally, UK audiences have been able to see the entirety of The Mandalorian — the Disney+ Star Wars show set between the events of Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. The final episode of the first season landed on the streaming service on Friday, revealing the fate of the title character, his allies and, of course, the adorable meme superhero Baby Yoda.

Fortunately, fans likely won’t have to wait all that long for season two. Shooting on the second run of shows was taking place last year, according to leading man Pedro Pascal, and it has been confirmed via Variety that post-production is continuing despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Well, with a series three already announced, they have to keep trucking on.

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October 2020 was originally pencilled in as the release date, but it seems likely there will be some sort of delay. As animation supervisor Hal Hickel told Variety: “We’re going to get it all done, people are going to get their Baby Yoda, I promise.”

But what can fans expect from The Mandalorian season two?

The Story

As the curtain came down on The Mandalorian’s first run, the title character shot off into space with Baby Yoda — aka The Child — at his side. Mando had been tasked with raising The Child in the ways of the Mandalorians, as well as discovering his origin. We even know he has another name, thanks to Taika Waititi. It’s fair to say that this quest will make up a large part of the second season of The Mandalorian.

Meanwhile, Aliens star Michael Biehn has been cast in a key role for season two. All we know about that part is that he is playing a bounty hunter, who is a figure from Mando’s past. It appears that the hunt for Baby Yoda’s origins will also lead to a look back into our protagonist’s own back story.

There’s also the looming threat of Moff Gideon, who has a new weapon in his arsenal...

Darksaber

In the final moments of the first season, the former Empire officer Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) emerged from the wreckage of his downed TIE fighter wielding a very unique lightsaber. With a black blade and glowing outline, the weapon is known as the Darksaber and has a storied history in Star Wars Rebels and The Clone Wars. In the lore of those series, the Darksaber was created by Tarre Vizsla — the first Mandalorian to become a Jedi.

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The Darksaber appeared often throughout those animated series, but its fate was uncertain after the Galactic Civil War and the fall of Mandalore. Somehow, it got into the hands of Moff Gideon, and The Mandalorian season two will seemingly tell us how. Esposito has, intriguingly, teased “major, major, epic, epic lightsaber action”. But who will be fighting who?

Ahsoka Tano

One of the most beloved characters in the wider Star Wars universe, Ahsoka Tano could be set for her first live-action appearance in The Mandalorian season two. It was reported in March that Rosario Dawson had been cast in the role and, although there has been no official confirmation, Dawson left little doubt when she told Variety: “That’s not confirmed yet but when that happens, I will be very happy. I’m very excited for that to be confirmed at some point.”

Tano was the Padawan apprentice of Anakin Skywalker and one of the key heroes of the Star Wars animated shows. Notably, Mandalorian co-creator Dave Filoni was the director of Tano’s debut in the 2008 film Star Wars: The Clone Wars, so he has been intimately linked with the character throughout her existence.

Directors

The first season of The Mandalorian had a terrific roster of directors, including Dope’s Rick Famuyiwa, Bryce Dallas Howard, Deborah Chow and Taika Waititi, as well as co-creator Dave Filoni. This time around, Famuyiwa is involved again and so is Filoni, with his fellow co-creator Jon Favreau also stepping into the director’s chair for at least one episode. Waititi, however, will not be taking part, having confirmed that his work on Next Goal Wins prevented him from helming any of The Mandalorian.

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A new addition to the roster of filmmakers is Carl Weathers, who also acts in the show as Greef Karga — the title character’s superior in the Bounty Hunters’ Guild. His role behind the camera was confirmed way back in October. Unconfirmed rumours suggest that Ant-Man’s Peyton Reed might be involved, with Sin City director Robert Rodriguez also floated as a possibility.

Darth Maul?

Darth Maul has a habit for popping up in unexpected places. After he was killed in the final moments of The Phantom Menace, he became a regular antagonist on the Star Wars animated series and even popped up for a big screen cameo in Solo: A Star Wars Story, voiced by Star Wars Rebels actor Sam Witwer. Now, physical Maul actor Ray Park has provoked speculation with an Instagram post in which he shared the Sith logo and the Mandalorian mantra “this is the way”.

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There are lots of things this could mean, including a full-on Maul appearance — despite his death at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi in Rebels — or even experienced martial artist Park simply playing a completely different character.

However, Maul is intimately connected to both the Darksaber and Ahsoka Tano, so he could appear in a flashback sequence as a treat for fans and a way to further connect the different corners of the Star Wars mythology.