Wish List: The Mandalorian Season 3

I didn't want to write another Star Wars article so soon, but as Season 2 of The Mandalorian has ended, now it's the perfect time to look ahead to Season 3 and beyond and start pondering about the things I'd like to see.

Much like my previous Wish List, not everything I mention here is actually meant for the very next season. They’re instead things I'd like to see before the series ends its run. Also, as the Season 2 finale pretty much coincided with the announcement of many upcoming Star Wars series, I'll be adding a section under each item where I also mention which other series could feature them. As those projects near closer, I’ll probably do more detailed Wish Lists for each one.

Also, since as Season 2 was so focused on crossovers with other Star Wars media, I decided that most of this list would be about that. So, most items here are elements from elsewhere in the franchise that I'd like to see in The Mandalorian. After all, so far, the show has mostly covered my expectations regarding quality, so I don't have much to wish in that regard, other than they keep it up.

I should mention that I wrote most of this list before the final episode aired, so there are some of these wishes that have already come true. Just for fun, I wrote them at the end of the article.

Cad Bane:

He is one of my favorite character from The Clone Wars. I can't wait to see him appear elsewhere, and there's no better fit for him than the Western-influenced world of The Mandalorian. Portraying him in live action wouldn't be much of a stretch, seeing the great work they've done with animatronic masks like Kuil's or other classic aliens like the Quarren. He should keep Corey Burton's voice, though.

Other series: I could picture him having a role in Obi-Wan Kenobi (they’ve clashed before), Lando and Rangers of the New Republic. The Book of Boba Fett is another nice option, since both bounty hunters have met each other in The Clone Wars.

High Profile Directors:

I have no doubt The Mandalorian will keep hiring an outstanding group of filmmakers for the coming seasons, but I wanted to mention it, nevertheless. I think the results have been wonderful and justify every decision made so far, including Robert Rodriguez, who isn't a director I usually like.

It's also a great jumping point to explore directors with promising Star Wars sensibilities before offering them future projects: Taika Waititi is helming a feature film and Deborah Chow is directing every episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi, while others like Bryce Dallas Howard and Rick Famuyiwa have also gained big support among fans.

Season 3 should repeat on the usual favorites, but also add new, exciting names. I'm rooting for Christopher McQuarrie, Ryan Coogler, Chad Stahelski, Brad Bird and even the Russos. Also, give Joe Johnston a small piece of Star Wars to finally play with. He deserves it after giving us so many iconic things in the Original Trilogy.

Other series: I don't see Kathleen Kennedy changing this approach for the rest of the projects. Indeed, most of the involved people who've already been announced are very promising.

Dengar or one of the others:

Season 1 had an IG droid. Season 2 prominently featured Boba Fett. It would be nice to continue that trend by having yet another one of The Empire Strikes Back's bounty hunters pop up in Season 3. While Zuckuss, 4-LOM and specially Bossk would be fun to see, I was intrigued by a recent comment by Simon Pegg, who wants to reprise his role as Dengar in The Mandalorian (he voiced the character in The Clone Wars), and now I really want to see that happen. It's also the kind of thing I can see Filoni and Favreau doing for fun.

Other series: Bounty hunters can pop up practically everywhere, but maybe Lando is the best fit, along with the obvious The Book of Boba Fett.

A proper Darksaber explanation:

If you’re a fan, you probably know where I’m going with this. It seems like a major plot point of Season 3 is going to be Bo-Katan’s new rivalry with Din Djarin over the Darksaber and the right to rule Mandalore. That’s all great, except it comes from a major continuity issue.

In The Mandalorian, it’s revealed that the weapon has to be won in battle in order to be properly seen as symbol of power. Bo-Katan won’t even take it when Djarin yields it. This is very strange because that’s how she got it in the first place. We know she was the previous owner, and Rebels shows us that Sabine Wren just gave it to her and she willingly accepted it.

I’m waiting for explanation as to why she has changed her views, and since Filoni is involved, I’m hopeful we’ll get it. This would be similar to how Season 2 fixed a perceived continuity issue: why Mandalorians took off their helmets all the time in the animated series, yet they supposedly couldn’t according to Season 1.

Doctor Aphra:

Doctor Chelli Aphra is one of the best characters from the Star Wars comics, but it's been a long while since I've truly enjoyed her appearances in her original medium. Lately, her comic book storylines have a feel of sameness and unrealized potential that don't do the service the character deserves (though this is a general complaint with recent comic runs).

I think she would be greatly enhanced by a transition to live action, and an appearance in The Mandalorian wouldn't feel too forced, since she's an archeologist and can be easily inserted in many plotlines, including the search for Grogu's people, should it continue in a new shape after Season 2.

Also, her delightfully deranged former droids could be a fun and unnerving addition to live action, but I don't think they're that good a fit for this series. Rangers of the New Republic, maybe?

As for an actress, I would like someone like Gemma Chan (unless The Eternals becomes too big for her and she explodes into superstardom), her former costar Constance Wu or maybe Bingbing Li, because even though she's just a drawing, you can tell Aphra is Asian. The frequently fancast Chloe Bennet wouldn't be bad either.

Other series: She would be an even better fit for Ahsoka! Let's asume that series will indeed feature Lady Tano searching for Bridger in The Unknown Regions. An archeologist would be handy. Imagine that female dream team; Ahsoka, Sabine and Aphra. Would be too much to add Hera and the Ghost to the mix? Better not if that means we'll also get that Oompa Loompa, Jacen Syndulla.

The prompt return of Grogu:

I think there’s much more to the series than just the cuteness factor of Baby Yoda, but there’s no denying that it is a great part of its appeal. The bond between him and Din Djarin is one of the greatest relationships in Star Wars, particularly when you take into consideration that one is a puppet and you rarely see the other one’s face.

In any case, I already miss the little guy, and I don’t think I’ll be completely happy until he’s back. I can endure two or three episodes without him next season, but I hope our characters get reunited very soon.

Also, there’s the matter of his survival: Luke’s students will all perish. The underwhelming comic The Rise of Kylo Ren, somewhat implies that Ben Solo didn’t kill the apprentices, which doesn’t make much sense, but the fact remains that by the Sequel Trilogy, Luke is the last Jedi.

I hope Grogu spends the next decades with his adoptive father instead. Then, once peace comes back to the Galaxy, he can finally begin his training. An epilogue on the series finale, set after The Rise of Skywalker, with Rey coming for Grogu would leave me much less worried about The Child’s future.

The Exegol connection:

I know some people don't want any element of The Rise of Skywalker to feature elsewhere, but I think that's not how this should work. Like it or not, the Episode is canon, and there's nothing else to it. If you didn’t like a plot, then I think the best possible thing the franchise can do is trying to polish it in another place, as they've already done with other elements (think how many things from the Prequels got enhanced by The Clone Wars).

Anyway, what I meant in this item is not that I want Mando and company to go to Exegol (though Gideon possibly could). I just mean that whatever "the donor's" ultimate function is, I would like it to be related to the eventual resurrection of the Emperor, the creation of Snoke and the rise of the First Order (something Favreau had teased back in Season 1 but still hasn't happened).

I would find that more relevant than finding that the Empire has yet another cloning, Force-related dark plan during the same period, and that we already know won't go anywhere. Better to anchor this to the rest of the franchise… unless it ends up being something mind-blowing. Also, the experiments seen in The Siege seem to point towards what we saw in Exegol.

Other series: If Thrawn appears in Ahsoka, as he surely will, he can be involved in this conspiracy too. It would also tie to his canon storyline about the Unknown Regions and makes us understand exactly why Palpatine was so interested in having him on his side. Also, let's face it: Ahsoka is dead by The Rise of Skywalker, so that could even mean she'll end up being the actual donor.

 

More John Williams themes:

To clarify, I don't need them to take over the score. Ludwig Göransson has created one of the greatest TV soundtracks of all time, and some of the best musical pieces in the whole franchise. But Williams' leitmotivs are the threads that bind all of Star Wars together, so I'd love more representation when it's due (when Legacy elements appear). We saw a very big step up in Season 2, when Yoda's mention was punctuated by his theme and The March of the Resistance was used twice to represent the New Republic.

A little more of that in future episodes would be excellent, **particularly if The Force Theme makes it's long overdue appearance**

Note: I wrote this before The Rescue, so that’s one granted wish. And how!

Other series: No Star Wars media should be completely devoid of John William music. Each project will have its own style and composer, which is great, but rearranged interpretations of the originals should be present. By the way, I'd love if Giacchino returns to score Andor. It’s not only very connected to Rogue One, but it seems to be a spy thriller, and he is very good at those.

The Master Codebreaker:

A slightly younger version of the intriguing but underutilized character from The Last Jedi could make a reappearance here. It would bring back Justin Theroux, who is the kind of actor I picture in the series (and let’s not forget he has a working relationship with Favreu, having written one of his films) and could expand his backstory and maybe origins.

Other series: He would be more at home in Andor, but the timeframe of that series makes it prohibitive. Presumably, the same goes for Lando, unless it ends up being about Calrissian's old age, which I doubt. So, he can only really feature in The Mandalorian spinoffs.

 

DJ:

Similar to the previous entry, but maybe DJ is more fitting for Mando's world. Is Benicio del Toro too big a name for a chapter of the series? I don't know. It seems like prestige actors are very open to do these nowadays.

Other series: Again, if you want the original actor to reprise him, he can mostly be in shows set in the New Republic era. Of course, they can go the younger route and put him in Andor or something, but I'm not sure who else could play del Toro.

Less focus on the Force:

This might seem like a contradiction, as I’m also wishing for Force-related stuff, but those were to properly close the mysteries surrounding Grogu.

What I mean, is that I’d like it if those things take a backseat for most of the time. I'm perfectly fine with a Forceless corner of the Galaxy and is one of the things I most enjoy about this series and the Anthology films. Besides, we have a lot of Jedi-focused stuff coming (Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Acolyte, Ahsoka), so I think the mystical stuff shouldn't be overplayed.

Other series: Andor and Lando should also keep mostly away from the Force and follow the example set by Rogue One and Solo respectively.

Crimson Dawn:

Did this crime organization survive even after Maul's death? It seems it did, and they could be the antagonists in a future Chapter. Same goes for the other Five Syndicates, especially Black Sun (live action Falleen!) and the Pykes. More on the Hutts later.

Then there's the era-appropriate Guvian Death Gang and Kanjiklub. This one should be even more fun if they rehire the cast of The Raid and actually put them to use.

Other series: The Book of Boba Fett and Lando have the most obvious ties to this criminal side of Star Wars. Obi-Wan Kenobi already is set for a rematch with Vader, so it's unlikely he'll also get one with Maul or his organization, especially having so few episodes. The Rangers of the New Republic could fight organized crime regularly too.

The mystery of the Niktos:

Season 2 solved a lot of questions we had about The Child. Other than his name, we discovered his origins as a Jedi Youngling at Coruscant. But his recent history is much more intriguing and so far unexplored.

For one, who was the Jedi responsible for his survival during Order 66? And then, how did the Empire find about him and how did they lose him aftewards?

When we first see him, Grogu is in a compound defended by heavily armed Niktos. Who are they? Did they kidnap him? Are they his protectors? We simply don't know anything about this, and I'm not sure if the series will be answering this mystery. I don't hear many fans wondering about it.

The Droid Gotra:

Already name-dropped in Chapter 9, The Gotra is one of the most interesting factions in the canon, being fully operated by independent-thinking droids who pursue emancipation. Despite their noble base ideals, they're still technically a crimal enterprise, which fits into The Mandalorian nicely, and could further explore Djarin's current mixed feeling about droids.

Other series: Duh, Lando. His connection to L3 makes this a no brainer. Since technically we still don't know when this show is set, she could even be still functional and directly tie to the Gotra. Rangers of the New Republic could use them as a moral dilemma: The New Republic wants to do what’s right, but they still support droid exploitation, which is basically slavery.

How does a Tracking Fob work, exactly?

This technology was a very convenient narrative device in Season 1, but we've never seen anything like it in Star Wars, and we still don't understand how they work at all. Until they get a satisfactory explanation, they're one of my least favorite elements of the series (a pity, since they're the first thing we see, and hear, in the premiere episode).

My problem is that they're way too powerful. Can they track anyone anywhere in the Galaxy? What do you need in order to track someone? Because half of the films could have use a Tracking Fob and they would be over in a second.

Maz Kanata and Takodana:

Takodana is a haven for people who live a little bit outside the law, like Mando and his circle do. This should be an obligatory stop in a future episode, and Maz should be definitely be there. They don't even need CGI anymore: a very advanced puppet was built for Episode IX, and I think Lupita Nyong'o would be game to reprise the voice role for the high-profile Disney+ series, considering she agreed to do it for Forces of Destiny, which was basically a series of brief doll commercials.

Other Series: Since Maz Kanata is so old, she and her castle can basically appear everywhere, including The Acolyte, where we could see her hanging out with Force Sensitive pals for once. Ahsoka or Rangers could even fill us on the untold story of her acquisition of the Skywalker lightsaber.

An Anthony Daniels cameo:

Not much to add here. Daniels has appeared in every canon film and animated series so far, and as long as he's able to do it, he should also start featuring in the live-action series.

C-3PO is not a likely fit for The Mandalorian, not even along Luke like R2, but Daniels played a different character in Solo, and that's what he can start doing in these other projects.

"I've got a bad feeling about this":

Come on, Favreu. Just one time.

 

Outdated Wishes:

Luke and his Academy:

I don't want this to be the final home of Baby Yoda, since this would mean he would be eventually be killed (or miraculously survive a second Jedi massacre), but I think the series' plot and timeline begs for at least a mention of that semi-legendary hero of the Civil War, who's currently trying to bring the Jedi Order back. Mando and Grogu could even get there before ultimately leaving for whatever reason. It could also help to fill some blanks in the current canon, like the planet where the Academy was built.

Luke himself should just appear if the role is reprised by a deaged Mark Hamill, not played by anyone else. Yes, Sebastian Stan looks a bit like Hamill, but I don't care. Young Luke and old Luke were the same actor, so there shouldn't be another one in the middle.

Other Series: On the other hand, I'm game about a 10-years-old Luke in Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Academy and Skywalker can also be a bit involved in my mental idea of what Rangers of the New Republic is.

Note: Well, they were ahead of me here. It was maybe inevitable, since as I said before, trying to get Grogu back to the Jedi put the show in a collision course towards Luke. Now Djarin has to actually visit the Temple to retrieve Grogu! Also, Hamill’s appearance opens the door for more.

Jabba's Palace and legacy:

I know a lot of people don't want to see Tatooine yet again, but I think an episode dedicated to this issue could stand apart from the rest. A still unexplored aspect of the current canon is the power vacuum created in the planet and the Hutt Syndicate after Jabba's death. Is someone trying to get that power? Is the palace occupied again, maybe by another Hutt? Is Rotta trying to claim his inheritance? This would be an intersting plot for an instalment, and very fitting of The Mandalorian's world. Also, a way for Mando to team again with Cobb Vanth.

Other series: Obi-Wan Kenobi could easily come in contact with Jabba, but this wouldn't be as interesting since it happens during an era we're already familiar with. Same with Lando.

Jabba himself was already alive by the time The Acolyte is set, so he could very well appear there, showing us his role during the High Republic era.

Note: This one wasn’t as obvious, so I was even more surprised! Not only did this happen, but it seems to be the basis for the next series, The Book of Boba Fett. So, the “void” I had described was briefly, pathetically, filled by Bib Fortuna and now reclaimed by Fett himself. He and Fennec Shand are probably going to face some power struggles. I hope Vanth returns here, partly so that Boba explains why in the world he didn’t bother trying to reclaim his armor why the Marshall had it.

Mandalore:

It seems clear that Bo-Katan's storyline is heading towards taking back whatever is left of the planet Mandalore. Given the world’s strong connection to both Gideon and Din Djarin, it could be the climatic scenario of a season finale, maybe even the series finale.

Other series: Ahsoka is another character who's connected to the planet, so her series or Rangers of the New Republic could take her there.

Then there's Obi-Wan Kenobi. We know he'll be leaving Tattooine for a while, so his adventure could take him back to Sundari, where Satine once ruled. Maybe he still has allies there.

The Acolyte could show us Mandalore's past, but probably the most likely series to feature the planet is The Bad Batch. There, we'll see the early military days of the Empire and maybe its invasion of the already Clone-occupied Mandalore.

Note: I’m writing this one as fulfilled because The Rescue pretty much promises this will happen. Not only was Bo-Katan back, but now she has a new rivalry with our protagonist thanks to the Darksaber. It does seem that the planet will feature sooner rather than later after all.