Disney is already working on The Mandalorian season 3

By Christian de Looper April 21, 2020

Season 2 of The Mandalorian may not be here just yet, but already Disney is moving ahead with a third season.

The third season of the Disney+ show isn’t expected to be released until October, but series creator Jon Favreau has been “writing season 3 for a while,” according to a report in Variety. The art department has been creating concepts for the show for a few weeks, and the show is already in pre-production, the article notes.

Baby Yoda -- clearly the breakout star of The Mandalorian series. — Baby Yoda — clearly the breakout star of The Mandalorian series.

It’s unsurprising that there will be a third season of The Mandalorian, but is somewhat surprising that work on it is starting so early — especially considering the fact that the second season is still four months away. The news comes only a month after production for season 2 of the show was wrapped.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, season 2 of the show is still expected to debut in October. Unlike some other shows, production was completed in March — and work like editing and visual effects can be completed remotely.

It’s currently unclear when season 3 of the show might debut, but considering season 1 was launched in November 2019, and season 2 is set for an October release, it’s possible Disney is targeting a late 2021 release — unless the coronavirus pandemic causes a delay, of course.

There have been plenty of reports regarding what to expect from the second season of the show. Notably, Rosario Dawson has supposedly been cast to play Ahsoka Tano, the Jedi Padawan of Anakin Skywalker. Reports from ComicBook.com indicate that Dawson’s contract includes multiple appearances in the Star Wars universe — so it’s possible we’ll see her in other upcoming movies, TV shows, and so on.

For now, The Mandalorian is one of the only available high-profile Disney+ shows. While the streaming service offers Disney’s massive catalog of movies and shows, many expect to be able to see new content — and the coronavirus pandemic is delaying much of it.

Still, at least some content may still get released on time. Marvel TV show Falcon and the Winter Soldier was expected to be released in August — and Disney has yet to announce any delays for the series.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Christian de Looper

Contributor

Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…

Entertainment

Want to enjoy the Star Wars TV shows more? Watch the cartoons, already!

Ahsoka Tano prepares for battle in an episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars

I’m pretty nerdy about a lot of things: turntables, vinyl records, barbecue, Game of Thrones, and yes, Star Wars. To a fault, I can be hard to shut up once my string is pulled, and lately, much of my blathering has been focused around a couple of Star Wars TV series -- The Mandalorian and the upcoming Ahsoka, the latter of which I am super-excited for. But I’ve had a few conversations about these shows with friends recently that have been driving me nuts. The latest involved me gushing over a live-action cameo of the animated Star Wars: Rebels series character Zeb Orrelios in season 3, episode 5 of The Mandalorian. My friend exclaimed that he had no idea who Zeb was and that he'd never watched "that cartoon," and here we are.
But a couple of notes before I continue: First, I know that Star Wars: Rebels and its precursor, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, are “cartoons.” Second, I’m aware that I’m a grown man. The point is, I’m often amazed to learn that, for those and other reasons, many people have avoided these excellent animated Star Wars series -- and this is a mistake. Much of what happens in The Clone Wars and Rebels has direct ties to shows such as The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, and especially Ahsoka, as they introduce incredible characters and crucial backstories. Do you need to watch them to know what's going on? No. You don't even need to watch every episode to get a better understanding of the live-action shows: We have great essential episode guides for Clone Wars and Rebels to set you up. But time and again I’ve been rewarded with excitement, a better understanding of characters and plotlines, and a more satisfying cathartic payoff because of watching these "cartoons." Plus, they’re just really good.
And whether you’ve just started watching The Mandalorian or are, like me, waiting eagerly for Ahsoka in August, here are a few good reasons you should take the next few months and get caught up on some of the best cartoons you’ll ever see.
Note: There are Mandalorian spoilers ahead.
Ahsoka Tano gets her due

Making her live-action debut in season 2 of The Mandalorian, Ahsoka Tano began her journey as Anakin Skywalker's tenacious young Padawan, and her adventures throughout seven seasons of the animated Clone Wars made her one of the most exciting and loved Jedi characters in the Star Wars universe. Not only does she endure betrayal through Anakin's transformation into Darth Vader, but her arc connects her to the warrior Mandalorians when she helps Bo-Katan Kryze liberate the planet Mandalore from occupation. The series concludes when Darth Sidious issues Order 66, which triggered the betrayal and extermination of the Jedi, aligning the show with the film Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith.

Entertainment

Why Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s Cal Kestis needs his own Disney+ show

Cal wielding his blue lightsaber and walking with BD-1 in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor key art.

As Lucasfilm finally seems to be getting the ball rolling again for Star Wars on the theatrical front, the video game space has been showing the franchise's continued narrative strength. The latest example is Respawn Entertainment's Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. The sequel to 2019's successful Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order fleshes out the journey of Cal Kestis (voiced by Gotham and Shameless actor Cameron Monaghan), with his story feeling every bit as worthy of a live-action series.

Shows like Dave Filoni's Ahsoka look promising given Rosario Dawson's pitch-perfect performance in season 2 of The Mandalorian and Filoni's passion for the franchise. Should Lucasfilm want more Jedi-centric storytelling on Disney+, the Star Wars Jedi games have rich characters (all hail Turgle!) and intriguing storylines that could be an ideal fit for the episodic format that made Obi-Wan Kenobi and Andor so compelling.

Entertainment

Spotify celebrates Star Wars Day with soundtracks and audio books

The Mandalorian and Grogu in a poster for the Disney+ series.

In May 1977, the original Star Wars hit theaters and changed cinemas forever. And although the actual release date was May 25, 1977, fans have embraced May the Fourth as the annual Star Wars Day celebration (for obvious reasons). To celebrate this year's Star Wars Day, Spotify has something special in mind for music fans and audio book connoisseurs.

Composer John Williams' iconic Star Wars music from all nine of the main feature films is streaming under Spotify's Best of Star Wars Playlist alongside some more recent additions to the musical canon. That includes Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab's score for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the hit video sequel that just hit stores at the end of April. Kevin Kiner's music from Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, and Star Wars: The Bad Batch is also featured, as is Michael Giacchino's powerful score from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Additionally, Spotify's Playlist for The Mandalorian now has Joseph Shirley's score from season 3 alongside Ludwig Göransson's soundtracks for the first two seasons.