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The Mandalorian season 3 is on the way, coming a little later than expected – the next installment of the Star Wars spin-off show will hit Disney Plus in February 2023. While that sounds like a long wait, there is a trailer to tide us over… sort of. The new footage was screened at Star Wars Celebration and hasn’t yet been released to the public, but we have a description of everything you missed right here.
That’s not the only update in our guide, either. Beyond the trailer, the latest The Mandalorian season 3 news is that Bryce Dallas Howard will be back to helm an episode of the season. Plus, we’ve got the lowdown on who’s who in the cast, what the plot might cover, and some quotes from the actors involved. So, to get up to date on the next chapter in the adventures of Mando and Baby Yoda, scroll on. This is the way!
The Mandalorian season 3 release date is February 2023
As confirmed at Star Wars Celebration, The Mandalorian season 3 release date is February 2023. While we don’t have anything more specific than that, there’s every reason to believe it’ll follow Disney Plus tradition and release on either a Wednesday (most likely, given recent trends) or a Friday. If that’s the case, February 1 is the earliest it can debut, with it coming no later than February 24.
The future is bright all round in a galaxy far, far away. Andor is coming on August 31, The Bad Batch season 2 and Tales of the Jedi are arriving in Fall 2022. In 2023, we’re getting the second instalment of Star Wars: Visions and Ahsoka.
The Mandalorian season 3 cast
At this early stage, The Mandalorian season 3 cast is anything but set in carbonite. Pedro Pascal will return as Din Djarin and Grogu is back by his side. There were fears the ongoing filming on Pascal’s other new show, The Last of Us TV series, would take precedence over The Mandalorian season 3 and delay filming, but we have since seen that production is underway.
Moff Gideon actor Giancarlo Esposito also revealed during an interview with EW (opens in new tab) that Gideon will likely have more of a presence in the third installment: “I have a feeling you’ll see more of me next season. More than likely you’re going to see a lot of Moff Gideon.” How very ominous…
Carl Weathers is back as Greef Karga, and will also be directing again, as he confirmed at Steel City Con. After The Mandalorian season 2 ending. Katee Sackhoff is back as Bo-Katan, and is likely to have her sights set on the Darksaber with the weapon now in Din’s hands. Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka could be back, though she also has an upcoming spin-off and her status remains unclear after her cameo in The Book of Boba Fett.
Back to the Future’s Christopher Lloyd has also joined the line-up in a mystery role.
Meanwhile, Sasha Banks, AKA Mercedes Varnado, has confirmed that she will not be returning as Koska Reeves in season 3.
Another person who will definitely not be appearing in the series is Gina Carano’s Cara Dune. The general consensus was that she would be one of the main characters in the Rangers of the New Republic spin-off. However, LucasFilm has cut all ties with Carano following her social media activity. She will therefore not be appearing in season 3 of The Mandalorian and the Rangers of the New Republic spin-off has reportedly been canceled.
But what about Migs Mayfeld, played by Bill Burr? Talking about season 3 with Screen Rant (opens in new tab), the actor said: “Oh, I hope so. Jon Favreau and Rick Famuyiwa, who wrote both of my episodes that I did – to be a small part of something that big that is that good that means so much to so many people. I’m obviously not allowed to say anything other than I just absolutely love being on that show and I hope it continues and if it doesn’t, I’ve had a blast.”
In terms of directors, Bryce Dallas Howard is back to helm an episode. She previously directed two episodes of The Mandalorian and the well-received ‘Return of the Mandalorian’ in The Book of Boba Fett.
Finally, Babu Frik (the furry little creature from The Rise of Skywalker) will appear in The Mandalorian season 3.
The Mandalorian season 3 trailer: Description of new footage
The Mandalorian season 3 trailer has debuted behind-closed-doors at Star Wars Celebration. But we had boots on the ground, and have our very own trailer description from the event:
The trailer with The Armorer saying how unhappy she is that Mando removed his helmet – and, worse still, he removed it by choice. Bo-Katan sits upon a throne and she says that she, too, is unimpressed by Mando. Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin then promises to head to Mandalore to be “forgiven for his transgressions.” Greef Karga also makes an appearance, seemingly mayor of a town, and in a shootout.
Of course, the footage also has Baby Yoda and Mando back together once more. Come the end, a different character in Mandalorian armor asks Grogu: “Did you think your Dad was the only Mandalorian?”
There was also a tiny sliver of footage released at another panel. The new look at the upcoming episodes sees the first ever glimpse at Mandalore in live-action, along with an incredible looking Star Destroyer, and even Din Djarin leading some Mandalorians into battle.
With nine months until The Mandalorian season 3 hits our screens, there might still be a wait to see it released to the public.
The Mandalorian season 3 story: What could happen next?
Dave Filoni has given us our first tease at what we can expect in The Mandalorian season 3: “There’s a lot of new adventures coming up. I have to be careful, I can’t really say anything specific, but I think the Force will be strong with this, let’s just say that.” While this doesn’t give anything away, it does sound like classic Mando.
The Mandalorian season 3 could deal with a whole host of narrative threads, just waiting to be tied up.
Among them, as per the trailer footage, Mando and Bo-Katan’s claim for the Darksaber appears to be top of the list. During Chapter 16, Din inadvertently claimed the Mandalore weapon as his own by defeating Moff Gideon in combat. This meant that Bo-Katan, who wanted to reclaim it from Gideon, would now have to beat Mando in combat. There seemed to be a plot hole stemming from The Clone Wars which saw Sabine Wren literally hand over the Darksaber to Bo-Katan without any issues, but The Book of Boba Fett cleared that up. Bo-Katan’s reign of Mandalore ended with disaster, and the Armorer believes it’s all down to Bo-Katan being gifted the Darksaber rather than winning it. It seems Din is keen on keeping the weapon, though, using it in pursuit of a bounty – and getting some training from the Armorer on how to use it.
Another major plot point revolves around Grogu reuniting with Din. The Book of Boba Fett saw Baby Yoda caught at a crossroads between becoming a Jedi or staying with Papa Mando, though he chose the latter. It will be intriguing to see if the youngling has any second thoughts, or if Luke Skywalker will further factor into The Mandalorian.
It does seem that Grogu’s powers will indeed continue to be a major part of The Mandalorian. Moff Gideon actor Giancarlo Esposito gave a hint as to why the villain wants to get hold of Baby Yoda so much: “I am going to get this child, and it’s for a very different reason than many people think,” he said at GalaxyCon. “This child has magic powers, 50 years old, and can see the future, and we want everyone to know, eventually on this show, that this child could save our universe.” If that’s the case, then it makes sense the Empire are still after the Child – and also makes it likely we’ll be seeing the little green guy again.
Esposito also joked: “You’re going to see me kill this baby. [Laughs] How about that? It’s totally wrong, but you know what, I’ve got to hold out somewhere that I’m going to win.” Here’s hoping that doesn’t come to pass…
The actor has also indicated his character will still be a formidable foe. “He is that uber villain who is all-powerful and who knows all about the technology and all these other things. So suffice to say, you will see Moff again… and soon,” he told Metro.co.uk (opens in new tab).
While Gideon is no longer at large, he seemingly has one last plan left to play. Throughout the season, he has clearly been fed information from an unknown source, and it’s something he explicitly brings up during the season 2 finale. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the new season on Disney Plus explores that connection further. Could it be Thrawn? Or does the Empire have another major player we don’t know about? The inclusion of a Star Destroyer looming large in the Mando trailer certainly suggests that Gideon has friends in high places.
Want to catch up with the series so far? You’ll need a Disney Plus sign-up, because it’s exclusive to the streaming service. Because the Disney Plus free trial isn’t around anymore, check out the Disney Plus bundles in your area for the best deals.
