The first Star Wars live-action TV show comes our way this November in the form of The Mandalorian. Most details about the series are being kept under wraps at present, but we do know that it’ll star Pedro Pascal as a currently unnamed Mandalorian bounty hunter and it’ll be set five years after Return of the Jedi. As the show is venturing into unknown territory for the movies, fans are wondering if it’ll tie into the old Expanded Universe as well, now the Legends universe.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, showrunner Jon Favreau was explicitly asked about the chances of Mara Jade and Thrawn showing up on the series. His reply was good news to Legends lovers, too, as he confirmed that the show will draw from all aspects of Star Wars lore but that he wasn’t going to comment on this as he wants viewers to “discover” things for themselves.
“I don’t want to talk about anything that might be fun for people to discover. We do have conversations. Part of what’s fun to see if we could merge the worlds of the original trilogy, the prequels, the sequels, The Clones Wars, and what’s been considered canon up to this point and what’s been considered part of Legends. I think this show offers an opportunity to bring in all those elements so no matter what your flavor of Star Wars ice cream you like there will be something to enjoy. But you’re asking the right questions.”
For those unaware, Mara Jade is a major EU character as she’s the wife of Luke Skywalker. Many were crushed that she was seemingly made non-canon with The Last Jedi. There were rumors that she could turn up in The Rise of Skywalker instead, but maybe The Mandalorian is the best place for her. As for Grand Admiral Thrawn, the villain has already been brought to screen in the Rebels animated series, but fans still want to see him in live-action.
Some original characters who we do know will feature include IG-11, a droid who looks to be something of a comic relief sidekick to Pascal’s anti-hero, voiced by Taika Waititi. Gina Carano, meanwhile, is Cara Dune, a former Rebel Shock Trooper turned mercenary, and Giancarlo Esposito looks to be an antagonist as Moff Gideon, a former Imperial officer whose life has been changed by the fall of the Empire.
The Mandalorian will shoot onto our screens on November 12th, the same day as Disney Plus’ launch day. Don’t miss it.