Possible SPOILERS, folks!
With production underway on Jon Favreau's The Mandalorian, we're still largely in the dark about what it entails. Other than the casting of Pedro Pascal, Nick Nolte, and Gina Carano, details have remained pretty slim. We know it takes place between the events of Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, with Pascal as a lone Mandalorian gunfighter on the outer fringes of the Republic. But that's hardly a driving narrative, right? What is going to drive each episode and keep us coming back for more?
StarWarsLeaks (via MakingStarWars) have an intriguing new rumor that may explain the series' core conceit, which to me sounds like a Star Wars take on Lone Wolf and Cub...
“I guess the Mandalorian encounters a baby on one of his missions that he is supposed to kill, but instead of that, he ends up saving it and a lot of the rest of the story revolves around their growing relationship and his efforts to keep the child safe and protected.”
MakingStarWars says this rumor jibes with some info they've heard, as well, so there may be something to this. Recent set photos and videos could also be seen as confirmation. What they heard is that the show also deals with the restoration of Mandalore to its former warrior greatness so this baby could be the heir to the throne, or something along those lines. Something else to consider; this child would be in adulthood at the time of the current Star Wars trilogy, making it possible for a much larger role in the future. Perhaps this child is someone we've already met? Hmmmm...
So they don't outright say it's been influenced by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima Lone Wolf and Cub, but the premise is damn similar. The manga series follows a shogun's executioner and master swordsman who is falsely accused of being a traitor and must go the way of the assassin. Along with his newborn son, they wander the country growing stronger as their desire for revenge burns greater. The samurai and Mandalorian are both warrior cultures built on strength and honor, and I see this story translating very well to Favreau's show if that is the plan.
Anyway, none of this is confirmed and probably won't be any time soon. The Mandalorian should arrive next year with the launch of Disney+. Check out the series synopsis below.
After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Warsuniverse. The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic.
