In an unprecedented trend, A-list actors are increasingly embracing roles that require them to hide beneath elaborate suits and extensive makeup. Case in point, The Mandalorian's Pedro Pascal, whose face has largely remained concealed beneath the nigh-indestructible armor.
In an insightful discussion during THR's Drama Actors Roundtable, which included Pedro Pascal, Evan Peters, Jeff Bridges, Michael Imperioli, and Damson Idris, the 48-year-old actor confirmed that his involvement in the Star Wars spin-off series primarily revolved around voice acting, saying:
There was an extended amount of experimentation, being in the suit for a lot of it, and frankly, my body wasn’t up for the task as far as, like, the four months of it. But I was in it. I was in it a significant amount, an elastic amount. But now we’ve figured it out, which is super cool, and amazingly, it gave me the opportunity to be able to go and do something else.
While Pedro Pascal has made on-screen appearances in certain scenes, particularly the poignant farewell with Baby Yoda in the Season 2 finale, the majority of his character's portrayal on set is handled by Brendan Wayne (grandson to the legendary John Wayne), with Lateef Crowder stepping in for stunts where his character is wearing the Mandalorian armor.
Just as in previous seasons, avid fans of the Disney+ series held high expectations for another Din Djarin face reveal. The showrunners had initially planned for this, but unfortunately, it had to be discarded due to Pedro Pascal's unavailability to film the scene.
It's hard to miss the fact that Pascal has enjoyed immense popularity this year, thanks to his involvement in HBO's The Last of Us series. With Season 3 of The Mandalorian and The Last of Us filming concurrently, Pascal had to divide his time between both projects and sadly for Mando fans, The Last of Us took precedence in his schedule.
Thankfully, Lucasfilm had prior experience employing multiple actors to bring a suited character to life. James Earl Jones, revered for his portrayal of Darth Vader, famously provided the character's voice, while two different actors embodied the physical appearance of the iconic Sith Lord. David Prowse donned the terrifying Vader suit, while Bob Anderson skillfully executed the character's stunts.
Although Pedro Pascal has not officially addressed the rumors surrounding his departure from the show, there is a high likelihood that he will make a final appearance in the upcoming Mandalorian film. Lucasfilm announced that the film is already in development and will bring the series to a close while also serving as a crossover event that unifies the various interconnected spin-off shows.
