‘The Mandalorian’: Pedro Pascal Hinted That Din Djarin Might Start Bending ‘The Way’ of the Mandalore in Season 3
The Mandalorian had a really great, steady arc in Season 2; one that ended with a sad, yet not tragic, ending. There are so many possibilities for where Season 3 could go, although there was some foreshadowing going on at the end (or at least, that’s what it seemed like).
Regardless, no matter where the next season takes Din Djarin, Pedro Pascal thinks that Mando will continue to push the boundaries with the strict code he’s been following. [Spoiler alert: Spoilers for The Mandalorian Season 2 ahead].
Mando took off his helmet more in Season 2 than in Season 1; he could bend the rules more going forward, Pedro Pascal thinks
From the moment Mando appeared in Season 1, he was unique in the fact that he never took his helmet off and always said, “This is the way.” While fans don’t know everything there is to know about Mandalorians yet, Din Djarin was the strictest on screen, ever. In fact, he’s the only one that has actively adhered to a code like this; Mandalorians from Mandalore in Star Wars: The Clone Wars didn’t do any of that.
And while Boba Fett didn’t show his face in the original trilogy, fans saw through the prequels and The Clone Wars that he never followed a religion like Mando did.
So through the newest season fans learned more about Din’s version of Mandalorian (or a little bit, at least). But twice, in front of others, Din Djarin removed his helmet and showed his face front of others for Grogu’s sake or benefit. And going into Season 3, even though Grogu’s gone (for now), Pascal told IndieWire that he thinks Mando could continue to do thinks like that.
“As much as he says this is the way, that doesn’t mean this is the only way,” the actor said. “I find it fascinating playing with that. We don’t know what he ends up being. He took his helmet off in a room full of people.”
Pascal enjoyed the complexities of Mando dealing with taking the mask off after decades of discipline
Of course, taking the hemlet off seems like a small feat for anyone watching, but it’s a big deal for Din Djarin. And Pascal certainly grasps that, and getting to play that character is exciting for him.
“The entire idea of getting to inhabit somebody who, since they were a child, no human has seen their face, it was almost impossible to imagine the level of nakedness and exposure, the overwhelming paralysis,” he said. “It can’t happen, but it’s a mission and the child has to be saved.”
Pascal said it was a “super-exciting dance of profound, incredible restraint and total exposure.” Especially in the episode where Din is completely exposed at the Imperial base while trying to gain Moff Gideon’s coordinates. And Pascal notes that, even without a mask, Din is trying to hide.
“He’s desperately trying to hide in a room without a mask with his face exposed,” he said. “It was cool and it was strange.”
Season 3 might show Mando head to Mandalore, but Pascal won’t speak a word about it
The big question — other than “Will Pascal’s face be seen in more of Season 3?” — is what the heck is the season going to be about? With Grogu gone, it might be hard for some to wrap their heads around what it could focus on. However, there was a bit of foreshadowing about Mandalore itself and about reclaiming it, according to Bo-Katan.
Din Djarin will no longer have a kid holding him in one place or spurring his missions on. While Grogu might still give him something to look forward to in the future, if they were to ever meet again, that’s not something that the next season should be about. It also doesn’t make sense for the baby to go away for a hot minute and come back right away.
But whatever the next season holds for Mando and any returning characters, Pascal is not telling anyone about it, even though he knows.
“They are in the expansion of this world, where there are so many unexpected surprises and timelines that are going to be dealt with,” Pascal said. “If the character were to cross over into these worlds, it will be utilized in a way that isn’t meant to be expected.”