Rian Johnson is hoping to return to the Star Wars galaxy on the small screen.
The Last Jedi director is throwing his hat out to direct an episode of The Mandalorian if the schedules align.
Johnson and Mandalorian
Saying The Last Jedi is a divisive film among Star Wars fans would be an understatement.
While many enjoyed Johnson’s daring take on the saga, others complained about plot points and the treatment of Luke Skywalker. At the same time, some believe Johnson did a good job considering he had little idea what J.J. Abrams had planned for the final film.
Sariah Wilson has shared interviews she’s had with Johnson and how he has spoken to producer Dave Filoni about directing an episode of The Mandalorian’s third season.
“I asked Rian if he’d ever consider doing an episode of The Mandalorian. He said he was dying to, but that for him it’s all about scheduling. He’s been writing [Knives Out 2] and now he’s going to go directly into filming it. So it would be a matter of finding time to break away and do it. He said he has spoken to Dave Filoni about it.”
The key problem is scheduling as Johnson is busy prepping Knives Out 2, the sequel to his hit 2019 mystery drama.
Johnson recently struck a record deal with Netflix for both the second and third films in this new franchise, with Daniel Craig reprising his role as eccentric detective Benoit Blanc.
Johnson is also still attached for a new Star Wars trilogy, but details have yet to be released. While the man’s work is divisive, it would be intriguing to see him return to the Star Wars universe on the small screen.
The Plo fakeout
Another intriguing Mandalorian tidbit comes from Katee Sackhoff as the Bo-Katan actress related that Luke Skywalker’s appearance in the season 2 finale was a surprise even to the actors.
During a charity stream play of Battlefront II for Star Wars Explained, Sackhoff related that in the original scripts and even filming, the actors were told the Jedi coming to rescue Grogu (aka Baby Yoda) was actually Plo Koon.
Appearing in Episode I, Plo Koon is a Kel Dor Jedi Master and member of the council. He stands out for his unique look with a mask and breathing apparatus as his species can’t handle oxygen-rich environments.
While he had no speaking lines in the trilogy, Plo Koon was featured in the Clone Wars animated series, emphasizing his skills as a wise Jedi.
Of course, Plo’s appearance in the Mandalorian would have been difficult for one simple reason: In Revenge of the Sith, Plo is in a fighter when Order 66 occurs, and his own clone troopers shoot him out of the sky.
When this was pointed out, Sackhoff could only laugh, “that’s who we [were] told it was, and I’m a very gullible person. When somebody important tells me something, I say ‘okay.'”
In fairness to Sackhoff, there is a history of supposedly dead characters returning to life (see Darth Maul), and using an obscure Jedi like Plo Koon seemed more logical than somehow having Mark Hamill play a much younger Luker.
The secrecy of Plo just adds to the mystique of Star Wars and what kind of excitement Johnson could bring to the Mandalorian show.
The Mandalorian streaming on Disney+.