Following the acclaimed second season of The Mandalorian, the galaxy far, far away has spun off even further, following new series all about Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi. But since then, there's been mostly silence on the flagship Star Wars series.
Disney announced the show had been recommissioned for a third season back in 2020, but what's new since then? Here's all we know so far.
When Will Season 3 Of The Mandalorian Premiere?
Actor Carl Weathers confirmed that the third season entered production on Wednesday 13th October 2021. Filming has since wrapped, but we've still got a little wait while the show is in post production.
At this year's Star Wars Celebration, we got confirmation that season three would premiere in February 2023 - however, that may have changed since then.
When the first trailer premiered at D23 in September 2022, the official announcement stated it was simply "streaming in 2023", meaning we might have a longer wait than previously expected.
Who Will Star In The Mandalorian Season 3?
The second season appeared to bring Mando's narrative arc to a close, but Pascal's stunt double Brendan Wayne has already confirmed that the actor will be back for round three.
In a 2020 Instagram post, he wrote: ""Yes!! Pedro is coming back. There was never any question."
The season finale of The Book of Boba Fett reunited Mando with Grogu in an emotional climax, that effectively wiped the slate clean for their next adventure. Grogu now has Jedi skills, so it'll certainly add a new element to their father/son dynamic next time around!
As for Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) and Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen), it seems likely following that spin-off they'll be leaving Tattooine behind - although that vague ending didn't really clue us in on whether they'll factor into a third season of The Mandalorian.
The pair famously assumed they had started shooting a third season revolved around their characters, with the scripts even saying 'Mandalorian Season Three' - only to be told two weeks into production they were actually filming The Book Of Boba Fett.
Elsewhere, Giancarlo Esposito (who plays Moff Gideon) has revealed that you'll see much more of him in the third season, while the aforementioned Carl Weathers (Greef Karga) and Katee Sackoff (Bo-Katan) will also be back.
In terms of new characters, the one and only Christopher Lloyd has been cast in a still-undisclosed role.
Speculation is also rife that Timothy Olyphant's Cobb Vanth will be back, thanks to a Book of Boba Fett mid-credits scene revealing that rather than being left for dead, he's sticking around. And as a fan favourite character, the excitement is high for where we can see him next.
One character who definitely won't return is Cara Dune, as actress Gina Carano was released from her contract following offensive social media posts.
What's The Plot?
Unsurprisingly, plot details are being kept tightly under wraps, so we have to read between the lines of cast interviews to work out where the show is going next. We've got a breakdown of the first teaser below - but outside of that, much is open to speculation.
It does seem likely that season three of The Mandalorian will be setting up future Star Wars spin-offs, to add more depth to this universe.
For example, upcoming series Ahsoka will be set within the show's timeline, meaning the next season could act to set those stories up more clearly - meaning that Rosario Dawson could be a big part of season three.
In an interview with Indiewire, star Pascal promised "unexpected surprises and timelines" in the expansion of the show's universe when it returns. So could the series be doing more than just expanding its own corner of the Star Wars universe, and bringing other timelines together?
Is there a trailer?
https://twitter.com/starwars/status/1568661283561684992?s=20&t=Zwag1iyvgIPOkW7n-xGWrg
The first trailer for season 3 premiered as part of D23.
Opening with a recap of the previous two seasons, it quickly launches into an action-packed preview of the adventures to come - including Grogu and Din reuniting at last.
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