Pedro Pascal Finally Breaks His Silence On All The Drama
The Mandalorian's second season has really put Din Djarin through the wringer. In addition to fighting a krayt dragon and one horde after the next of enemies, he's also had his entire belief system questioned upon learning he's actually a Child of the Watch, an extremist sect of Mandalorians who aim to reestablish the ancient order of their kind. Part of their creed involves never removing one's helmet, which Din has stuck to.
There have only been two times so far in the series when we've seen Din's face. The first comes when he suffers injuries and has to remove his helmet for treatment, only revealing his face to an unliving droid (voiced by Taika Waititi). The second time occurs in Chapter 15, when Din has to gain access to sensitive materials from the Empire by showing his face. It appears as though Din is questioning his belief system more and more in recent episodes, and even though he's still hesitant to remove his helmet, he's willing to do so if it means saving Grogu.
Rumors have been circling that the reason for these increasingly common face reveals lies in Pedro Pascal wanting more facetime on the Star Wars series. Some rumors even extend to the point of saying Pascal would leave the show if he continued being hidden behind all that beskar all the time. In a recent television appearance, he laid those rumors to rest and assured fans that he's perfectly happy doing what's best for the show.
Pedro Pascal says keeping the helmet on is "a really wonderful way of telling the story"
Audiences will be able to see Pedro Pascal's face front and center in the upcoming superhero sequel Wonder Woman 1984 as the villainous Maxwell Lord. As such, he's been doing a whole lot of media appearances in promotion of the film. When he called in virtually on The One Show, the topic shifted to his work on The Mandalorian. He was asked point-blank about the rumors that purport he wants his helmet off more often. Pascal was quick to deny them.
After saying the rumors aren't true, he went on to state, "It's a really wonderful way of telling the story. It's always been a very clear creed for the character and the collaborative process of the whole thing, we've all been on the same page with this. So what I want is for them to make the best show possible, however they get that done."
It sounds as though Pascal understands why the creative forces behind the show want Din Djarin's helmet on, and he's totally cool with going along for the ride and performing however is best for the character. It's clear how deeply the character believes in the Mandalorian creed, and when he takes off his helmet in Chapter 15, it is obvious how uncomfortable it makes him. Perhaps he'll open up more in the future, when more circumstances arise that require him to reveal himself.
More Mandalorian adventures are on the horizon
By all accounts, Pascal will be portraying Din Djarin for quite some time to come. Disney has announced The Mandalorian will return for season three sometime in December 2021 (via Collider). During the recent Disney Investor Day event, the company announced a slew of Star Wars projects, including two that will take place at the same time as the events of The Mandalorian: An Ahsoka Tano series and Rangers of the New Republic. All of these shows will cross over in a big climactic event, so it's within the realm of possibility that Din might show up on these other series as well.
With plenty more adventures coming down the pipeline, it's likely we're going to see Din Djarin continue to wrestle with what he has learned from Bo-Katan Kryze and the Nite Owls. Other Mandalorians are out there, and they don't necessarily believe in the same things he does. Instead, they're out there trying to regain their homeworld, and the day may come when the Nite Owls require his assistance for a certain job. While Din's still not completely comfortable taking his helmet off, he may get more comfortable with the idea if he gets the chance to spend more time with a different sect of Mandalorians who aren't as strict with the rules as he is.
You can see Pedro Pascal next when the final episode of The Mandalorian season two airs on Disney+ on December 18, 2020. A week later, on December 25, you can see him again over on HBO Max and in theaters (where they're open) in Wonder Woman 1984.