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You could argue that The Mandalorian is the single most successful Star Wars production since Disney took over Lucasfilm. While the films have been commercially successful, they’ve received mixed reactions from fans and critics. The Mandalorian, however, has been an unmitigated hit with both critics and Star Wars fans. 

While there is a whole team of people responsible for bringing The Mandalorian to life, the series creator is none other than noted director and actor Jon Favreau. Favreau is one of the main creative forces behind the show, but rumors from the set say he may be unsatisfied with at least one element of the upcoming season. Here’s the story of how Favreau is reportedly frustrated with the status of Pedro Pascal in The Mandalorian season 3. 

Jon Favreau’s role in ‘The Mandalorian’

Actor/director Jon Favreau
Actor/director Jon Favreau | Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Vanity Fair

Favreau is the creator of The Mandalorian. According to CBR, he’s one of the driving creative forces behind the show along with Star Wars veteran writer/producer Dave Filoni. Favreau said that his love of Star Wars began in his formative years when he was a child and helped inspire his moviemaking career: 

“As somebody who grew up with Star Wars and really having been formed around what I experienced when I was little with the first film…there was some aesthetic to it that I really gravitated to. And my whole taste in movies was probably formed in a big way from seeing George Lucas’ original film. And I learned about cinema through the lens of that film.”

Anyone watching The Mandalorian can tell Favreau has a great appreciation for the Star Wars universe. He incorporates sights, sounds, and characters from the original film as a way to create something new using beloved elements of the classic film. 

Pascal is the lead in Favreau’s series, starring as the titular Mandalorian. But according to at least one rumor, all might not be well behind the scenes leading up to the show’s third season. 

There are reports of frustration with Season 3

According to a report from We Got This Covered, Favreau is frustrated with Pascal’s “lack of availability” for filming the next season of The Mandalorian. The report speculates this could mean fans get more of the lead character in costume, not exposing his face. That shouldn’t be a major issue – he’s rarely taken his helmet off during the show’s first two seasons – but there’s something to be said for having the actual actor in the suit. 

Pascal is busy shooting the series The Last of Us for HBO. He’s receiving $600,000 per episode, and the show’s producers have no obligation to let him out to shoot anything else. That may mean Favreau will have to get creative during the production. 

The future of ‘The Mandalorian’

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So what does all this mean for the future of the show? The bottom line is it probably won’t amount to much. Pascal can record most of his lines for the series over the course of a few days, meaning he doesn’t actually have to be on set while the show films. 

Also, the series is one of the most popular ones on Disney+. There’s too much money at stake for it to go wrong. Disney knows it has a hit on its hands. The show couldn’t exist without Favreau and Pascal, so they’ll figure out a resolution of some sort while both continuing to be a part of it, most likely. 

The verdict? It may mean less Pascal in his Mandalorian armor, but this rumored rift isn’t likely to stop or slow the show’s successful run.