'The Mandalorian' Ep. 6 Recap & Review: Lots Of Familiar Faces Get In On A Prison Break

The last thing I expected going into episode six of The Mandalorian, titled "The Prisoner", is another diversion from the main story. Ultimately, it's a fun diversion, and indicative of the kind of story I expect to see more of in future seasons. But those looking to see the tale of Baby Yoda moved substantially forward, you'll be disappointed.

On the other hand, this episodes takes its cues from heist movies, a particular favorite genre of mine, so I absolutely love it. And there are tons of familiar faces (or voices) that will bring a smile to a lot of fan's faces. The story finds Mando joining up with a group of bounty hunters for a rescue mission, an extraction of someone important. Mando lands the Razor Crest on a platform belonging to Ran (played by Sons of Anarchy's Mark Boone Junior), an old friend who he used to do jobs with back in the day. There's some tension between them, especially when Ran makes it clear he knows what Mando has been up to with The Guild, but says his old friend is welcome on the ship anytime. The team Ran is putting together includes a Twi'lek named Xi'an, played by Harry Potter and Game of Thrones actress Natalia Tena. She and Mando also share a past, and it's strongly implied, mostly by her sexual innuendo, they used to be lovers. Leading the squad is a human named Mayfeld (comedian Bill Burr), with a Devaronian named Burg (Clancy Brown, currently seen on ABC's Emergence), and a bug-eyed Tee-Oh droid named Zero (voiced by comedian Richard Ayoade). Yeah, pretty cool group of characters and cast.

There are some great jokes between this ragtag bunch, too. Ran lets Mando know the only reason he's there is because the Razor Crest is off the grid, and can slip in and out unaware from Imperial or New Republica surveillance. Mando isn't happy about that, but he's even less amused at learning the extraction is from a maximum security New Republic prison freighter. Mayfeld is none too pleased at having a Mandalorian on his team, but Ran vouches for him...

"Mayfeld, he's one of the best trigger men I've ever seen", Ran says. "Former Imperial sharpshooter."

"That's not saying much", Mando cracks.

"I wasn't a stormtrooper, wise ass!", Mayfeld shouts.

Mando doesn't want any part of this job because of the heat it could bring down on them if shit goes bad, which we know that it will. But when he hears it's only manned by droids, which he still hates, it changes his mind. He soon wishes he hasn't. Aboard the Razor Crest, Mando is teased by Xi'an who seems to know exactly how to piss him off. The others urge him to take off his helmet (Mando is accused of being a Gungan!), razz him about the other Mandalorians all being dead despite their reputation as great warriors, and a fight nearly breaks out between Mando and Burg.

It's at this moment you're probably wondering where the Hell is Baby Yoda? The scuffle answers that question when a button is accidentally pressed, revealing The Child to be stashed away in his own little safe room. Like everyone else who has encountered Baby Yoda, they have no idea who or what he is. They assume Mando has taken on a pet of some kind; Xi'an implies that Mando has gone soft.

While Baby Yoda barely has a role in this episode, there's a total freakout moment when the ship suddenly drops out of hyperspace. In the ensuring rumble, everyone loses their balance and Mayfeld drops Baby Yoda to the ship's hard metal floor! *gasp*  The kid is alright; Mando quickly helps the little womprat up and secures him back in the room, but he has the others' attention now and we know that's not a good thing. Even worse, Zero has begun to decrypt a Guild message from Greef Kara (Carl Weathers) directly referencing the Child.

Aboard the ship, we do manage to see a few of the prisoners. None of them seem to be all that important, but one appears to be Rio Durante, the Ardennian voiced by The Mandalorian showrunner Jon Favreau in Solo. It's not spelled out or anything, but it seems like the kind of cameo Favreau would dangle out there for eagle-eyed fans.

A major complaint I've had throughout is that Mando hasn't been shown to be that great of a fighter. Sure, he can shoot, but hasn't been that impressive elsewhere. He's been overwhelmed in multiple episodes, and fought Gina Carano's Cara Dune to a draw. But here, he's the badass we expect him to be, slicing up the ship's attack droids and using his flamethrowers to maximum effect. Another thing that's clear is how indestructible the Beskar metal really is. Mando takes a number of blaster bolts that would've killed a normal person, but they mostly bounce right off. The other bounty hunters are impressed.

Eventually, they reach the control room and discover a terrified human New Republic officer (played by The Clone Wars' Matt Lanter) who was not supposed to be there. Somebody fucked up somewhere. After some arguing about what to do with him, the decision is taken out of their hands by Xi'an who kills the officer with a blade. Unfortunately, he manages to set off a distress signal before dying, giving them only 20 minutes to retrieve the prisoner and escape before New Republic ships show up.

It's at this moment when the mission truly goes sideways, and you realize there's a lot more going on than we knew. Upon getting to the prisoner's cell, they discover that it holds another Twi'lek, Qin (Ismael Cruz Cordova), who happens to be Xi'an's brother. Oh yeah, and he's in prison because of Mando. Oops. The others turn the tables on Mando, knocking him into the cell and locking the doors. Maximum freakout time! If Mando can't escape, not only will the New Republic discover him, but the others will steal his ship and Baby Yoda, too! Fortunately, Mando doesn't take long to make his escape, cleverly using an incompetent droid's own arm as a lock pick.

Rick Famuyiwa really struts his stuff here, taking on horror elements to capture Mando's stalking of his fleeing betrayers. The first to be stalked down is the massive Burg, who seems to be impervious to just about everything...other than blast doors. Xi'an is a test, as well. The sly Twi'lek's blades find their mark around his Beskar armor, but not enough to save her from Mando's wrath. Mayfield gets the worst of it, or so we think. In an awesome display of strobing effects we see Mando sneaking up, frame by frame, on an unsuspecting Mayfeld.

All that's left is Qin, and when he's found the only thing he can do is plead forgiveness. He appeals to Mando's code of honor as a bounty hunter. Why not just finish the job and collect all the credits? It's at this point we realize how little we truly know about the Mandalorian. Would he really kill Qin just to get vengeance? Clearly, he's been a killer in the past, so why not now? Or would he stick to the personal set of principles he's been following since discovering the Child?

While this is going on, Zero has cracked Greef Kara's message and learns of Baby Yoda's importance. He goes off in search of the tyke, and after a brief game of hide-and-seek, finds him and prepares to shoot him. Yoda acts as if he's about to use the Force to protect himself, but at that moment Mando shoots Zero from behind. The look on Baby Yoda's face when he thinks it was his own powers that did it is, honestly, too precious for words.

The job done, Mando returns to Ran and it's then that we learn he didn't kill Qin. He finished the job, and dismisses Ran's questions about the other bounty hunters with a simple "No questions asked" reply. Mando collects his pay and prepares to fly off in the Razor Crest, but it's then that Ran orders someone else to "Kill him". As fighter ship begins to launch and destroy Mando, Qin discovers the New Republic tracking beacon...and it's still blinking.

As Mando flies off, a trio of X-Wing fighters arrives and begins shooting up Ran's freighter. The pilots are played by, get this: co-showrunner Dave Filoni (as Trapper Wolf) and directors Rick Famuyiwa (as Jib Dodger) and Deborah Chow (as Sash Ketter). Pretty awesome. They're now officially part of the Star Wars mythos. We also discover that Mando didn't kill Mayfield, Burg, or Xi'an. They're instead locked away on the prison ship, stuck in the same cell like the final episode of Seinfeld.

An amazing episode, one that expands on the Mandalorian's background without having to delve into more childhood flashbacks. This episode introduces us to the man he used to be before he found Baby Yoda, and it's strongly hinted that he wasn't such a good dude. Also, we get to see a number of cool characters that are, thankfully, still around to cause Mando a lot of headaches.

That said, this is awfully late in the season for an episode that doesn't push the Baby Yoda narrative forward. I can only imagine the final two chapters will, but at this point it's really hard to say. Rumors are this next episode, which drops on Wednesday, December 18th rather than Friday, will have some tie-in with The Rise of Skywalker. Part of me hopes so, but another part likes how The Mandalorian is off in its own world doing something new each week. I don't want to see that complicated by trying to fit into a separate narrative.

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'The Mandalorian': Bryce Dallas Howard Reveals Pedro Pascal Isn't Always Under The Helmet

Nobody knows what The Mandalorian looks like underneath his helmet. We assume he looks like actor Pedro Pascal, but...well, does he really? Because although Pascal was cast as Baby Yoda's protector, he's not always the guy playing the role.

Bryce Dallas Howard revealed to Vulture that Pascal wasn't in the episode she directed, titled "Sanctuary".  I don't know why this is surprising, and yet it kinda is...

“He was in rehearsals for ‘King Lear’ on Broadway. And so, while we were doing my episode, I wasn’t working with Pedro,” she said.

Stunt doubles are one thing; we expect them to step in for certain action sequences and the like, but not to just take over the role like an understudy. If you look at the episode's credits you'll see Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder are indeed credited for the role. Wayne, in particular, earned praise from Howard for what he brought to the table...

“He absolutely just brought everything to that character, and we were able to find the moments and figure them out together.”

Hey, if Howard hadn't said anything most of wouldn't be the wiser, which goes to show that...well, Pascal ain't needed. Disney, you can go ahead and cancel his contract.  Nah, it's a sign of the amount of work that's being put into The Mandalorian that Pascal's absence doesn't derail anything.

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'Wonder Woman 1984' Teaser Gets You Ready For Tomorrow's Full Trailer

In the opening moments of the teaser for tomorrow's Wonder Woman 1984 trailer, Diana pops a bullet out a foe's gun and swats it back at him with her gauntlet. Done in slo-mo, it's a really cool moment in this brief bit of footage, some of which is taken from the teaser shown Comic-Con in 2018.

The other big takeaway from this are the eye-popping colors, a serious upgrade from the hit 2017 movie and perfect for the retro setting. Later on, we see Diana hurling around enough lightning to make Thor jealous, even swinging from the bolts using her lasso. That's pretty damned awesome. While we don't get a look at Kristen Wiig as Cheetah yet, Pedro Pascal as villain Maxwell Lord can be glimpsed at one point, looking like he may be calling down some serious power of his own.

SYNOPSIS: Fast forward to the 1980s as Wonder Woman’s next big screen adventure finds her facing an all-new foe: The Cheetah. As previously announced, the film also stars Kristen Wiig in the role of the Super-Villain The Cheetah, as well as Pedro Pascal. Chris Pine also returns as Steve Trevor.

Wonder Woman 1984 opens June 5th 2020.

The first teaser is out! Stay tuned for the full trailer tomorrow!! Here we go...!!! 🙅🏻‍♀️💃🏻 #WW84 @WonderWomanFilm pic.twitter.com/Vax4Yde72D

— Gal Gadot (@GalGadot) December 7, 2019

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'The Mandalorian' Ep. 5 Recap & Review- A Wretched Hive Of Scum And Villainy Is No Place For A Child

The conclusion of last week's episode served to remind us, through an assassin's crosshairs, that Mando and Baby Yoda are constantly under threat. And so, this week's episode of The Mandalorian, titled "The Gunslinger", kicks off exactly where it should, with an deep space dogfight between Mando and an over-eager bounty hunter. It's a hot start for the show after the previous story kinda dragged along, and gives us a chance to check out our hero's piloting skills. The Razor Crest does take its share of blaster fire, however, from the predator's sleek ship, possibly of Naboo design? Hmmm....anyway, some trickery by Mando gets the jump on him, blowing away his opponent with relative ease. But the ship is damaged enough that they need to stop somewhere for repairs, and guess where they are going to get them?

Tatooine.

Yep, that Tatooine. Where this whole thing called Star Wars began for most of us. The birthplace of some Skywalker guy who might be rising in about two weeks at a theater near you. There is no planet in Star Wars history that fans recognize more than Tatooine, and no wretched hive of scum and villainy more infamous than Mos Eisley. After being hailed by the tower to come on in, Mando lands at a space port where he's greeted by those pit droids (the ones that clam up into their helmets when scared) we liked the from the Prequels. Mando's distaste for droids as evident as ever, he's then welcomed by a mechanic named Peli, played to my great joy by Strangers with Candy's Amy Sedaris.  She offers to fix the ship, but it'll cost more credits than Mando has got on him. So he goes to find the one thing he knows is in plentiful supply on a place like Tatooine, some dirty work that pays big. Which way to Mos Eisley cantina?

Okay, at this point I have to admit this episode is already overflowing with fan service. To some it'll be a distraction, seeing many of the same familiar images of Tatooine that we saw in The Phantom Menace and A New Hope. To me, it's wonderful; nostalgic in all the ways I want Star Wars to be. Sure, it comes at the expense of some logic, but I get where writer/director Dave Filoni is coming from. You've got Tatooine and Mos Eisley cantina, two of the most recognizable places in all of Star Wars lore, so how can you not use them? Does it make sense that of all the planets in all of the galaxy this is where Mando would end up? Not really. Does it make sense that he'd take Baby Yoda to a place so well-known for being dangerous? Nope. Do I care? Also nope.

Mando walks into the long Greedo-less ("Mclunky!!!") Mos Eisley cantina, and what does he find? Not a lot. It's kinda barren, actually, except for the bounty hunter sitting in the corner over there. Sadly, it's not Han Solo, but young upstart Toro Calican, who looks like someone cloned Bobby Cannavale. That's because he's played by Cannavale's son, Jake. Toro tells Mando about big job he's got, but it's outside of the Guild. It involves capturing famed assassin Fennec Shand, played by Agents of SHIELD star and all-around badass Ming-Na Wen. Finally, she arrives. Between her and Gina Carano this series has two of the most awesome, toughest ladies in Hollywood. Love it.  Anyway, Shand's reputation precedes her and Mando turns the job down. Way too dangerous. But Toro convinces him to take it by appealing to Mando's surprising sensitivity. Toro's a newbie just trying to break into the Guild, and has never take on a bounty before. He needs the help, and Mando is the only one who can give it to him. Well, gosh darn when you put it that way!

A thread that I think is being established is Mando's blind spot for the defenseless and the inexperienced. It's brought him a lot of trouble up to this point, and is about to again. Speaking of which, if you're wondering where Baby Yoda is all of this time, the little womprat is back at the ship being watched over by Peli like a babysitter, and she's gonna charge for it. Part of me hopes for an Adventures in Babysitting-esque spinoff episode of what Peli had to go through watching the Child. Did it levitate her droids? Help out with the repairs? Begin a new Jedi Order? I just want to know. Maybe in the Bluray special features?

After securing a pair of swoop bikes, Toro and Mando race across the desert, crossing that familiar Dune Sea, encountering a Bantha and, because no trip through Tatooine would be complete without them, some Tusken Raiders. Mando negotiates with them to cross their territory, making the interesting comment that Tuskens see themselves as the natives, and everyone else as visitors. It's a good point, and that understanding of their culture is why they don't just attack the way Tuskens usually do. It's also worth noting that you can practically see Filoni grinning as he recalls so much classic, gorgeous Star Wars imagery here. Even in the creation of Toro you can see him recalling the roguish Solo, right down to the blaster pistol he carries.

Finally reaching where they believe Shand to be, they instead find a lone, wandering Dewback with someone being dragged behind it. Might it be Shand herself? Going in to investigate, they find that it's a dead bounty hunter, and Mando realizes too late that it's a setup. Taking sniper fire straight into his Beskar-plated armor, he barely makes it to cover alive. They decide to wait until night to make their move on Shand, but even in the cover of darkness and the clever use of flares, Mando is shot off his bike and into the sand. Toro gets to Shand just in time to get his ass kicked by her, only for Mando to step in and take advantage of the distraction.  Good work, kid.

With one of the bikes damaged, Mando agrees to go back and find that Dewback to serve as their second transport, but Shand says something interesting first. She mentions that Mandalorians were involved in something big that went down on the planet Navarro, which was weird because you don't see many of them around at all. It's at that moment I realized we had no actual idea where those first couple of episodes had taken place. I kinda thought it was Tatooine at first, but now realize she's referring to Navarro where Baby Yoda was discovered, then rescued by Mando. Anyway, the handcuffed Shand uses this information to convince Toro that he ought to side with her to capture Mando and claim the bounty placed on his head by the Guild, who also want the mysterious Child he stole away with. Playing to the kid's ego works, but instead of teaming with Shand he instead shoots her in the gut, leaving her for dead.

Does anybody think Ming-Na Wen was brought in for one episode? Come on, nah.

I don't know why we'd expect a showdown between a Mandalorian and an inexperienced backbencher like Toro to be competitive, but this was pretty ridiculous. Mando returns to his ship to find Peli and Baby Yoda captured at gunpoint, with Toro planning to turn them over and become an instant legend. Capturing a Mandalorian, with a friggin' Yoda to boot, would be pretty big shit. Instead, Mando easily distracts the stupid kid and shoots him dead. Done and dusted. Peli orders her droids to dispose of the body, with a shout to Beggar's Canyon as a dumping ground, and that's pretty much it other than Mando paying off what he owes her for the repairs.

This episode was purely enjoyable and doesn't do much to stretch the story in any meaningful way. Threads are still dropped, however. Mando and Baby Yoda are earning a reputation big enough that trusting anybody would be foolish, and there's also the introduction of Fennec Shand who I think has the staying power to be a lasting presence in the Star Wars landscape. I do think that opening space battle was indicative of the wider scope we could be seeing in the season's final three episodes. We've yet to see the introduction of Giancarlo Esposito as Moff Gideon, an Imperial officer affected by the Death Star's destruction, and episode seven's proximity to The Rise of Skywalker has given rise to rumors of a potential tie-in aspect.

On a final note, I do think this episode puts to bed any theories of Mando secretly being Boba Fett. At this point in time, Boba is probably still being digested by Sarlacc, right? They're slowly consumed for millennia, after all.  While it's possible he escaped, a return to Tatooine and the painful memory of what happened might have come up, or at least sent Mando to check out a different planet.

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'The Mandalorian' Ep. 4 Recap & Review: Peace, Happiness, And Cara Dune

Titled "Sanctuary", the fourth episode of Disney's The Mandalorian dials back on the intense action of the first three episodes. Fittingly, it offers Mando and his Baby Yoda charge a small oasis of peace and tranquility for much of this episode, directed by actress Bryce Dallas Howard. Of course, this peace is short-lived as the duo just can't seem to stay away from trouble, even when it isn't directly looking for them.

Picking up where the last episode left off, "Sanctuary" finds Mando and the child ("Stop touching things", Mando playfully scolds) looking for a backwater skughole to lay low for a while. It's obvious Mando still has no plan as to where to go or what to do. Will he raise Baby Yoda on his own? Deliver him to the Resistance? Find him a suitable home where he can have a real childhood?

Spotting the planet Sorgan, Mando decides it's just remote enough for them to hideout for a couple of months. Naturally, that means they'll be spotted pretty quickly, right? It doesn't help that Yoda doesn't like to follow instructions. Warned to stay in the ship while Mando scopes out the area, the precocious kid is nevertheless right by his side just moments later. With curiosity in his big wide eyes, Yoda takes in the shabby little tavern Mando enters. It's also where we first spot Gina Carano's Cara Dune, eying them from a corner table. Mando is immediately wary of her, and when she vanishes goes out to take a look. She quickly gets the jump on them and they have an all-out brawl where we see, yet again, that Mando is a much better gunfighter than hand-to-hand combatant. She gets the better of him, but they end up pointing blasters in a close standoff, only to be interrupted by an adorable, green onlooker who had slipped outside to watch. Oh that Yoda!

Cara Dune is an interesting addition to The Mandalorian. An ex-Rebellion shocktrooper who saw most of her action post-Endor (meaning after Return of the Jedi), she gave up that life when politics started to intercede. She came to Sorgan to live a life of quiet solitude, and needs Mando to get out of town so she can do that. Turns out he and a Baby Yoda draw a lot of attention. But before they can depart, a pair of villagers from a nearby fishing village approach Mando with a request. They need protection from Klatoonian raiders, seen in the episode's intro laying waste to the peaceful village. Mando rejects them repeatedly, until he comes to think it might be a suitable, out-of-the-way home for Baby Yoda.

One of my favorite aspects of Rian Johnson's divisive The Last Jedi was that it offered a slice-of-life look at the impacts of constant war. "Sanctuary" offers some of that , too, as Mando let's his guard down and fits naturally with the people he's helping to protect. A conversation with Omera (Julia Jones), a single mother who takes a liking to Mando, reveals that he hasn't taken off his helmet in front of another person since childhood. We also learn that his introduction to the Mandalorian culture may not have been 100% his choice, but it's one he's come to accept. "This is the way", he says, repeating the catchphrase that could overtake "May the Force be with You" among Star Wars geeks. As Omera's daughter Winta and the other children play with Baby Yoda, this place looks more and more like home.

But a home needs to be protected. The townspeople aren't fighters...well, except for Omera who is sweet with a blaster. After giving them some basic training, Mando and Cara Dune do some scouting only to discover their problems are bigger than anticipated. The raiders have in their possession an Imperial AT-ST chicken walker. This will be no easy task.  Breaking into the raider camp, a pitched battle ensues while the tick-tick of a bomb winds down. The explosion alerts the AT-ST, which is being drawn to the camp in hopes of falling into a well-laid trap, which it eventually does after some quick thinking and a heroic act by Cara Dune using Mando's awesome disintegrator rifle.

Weeks pass, and Omera thinks Mando and Baby Yoda would be better staying where they are. It's clear she wants him to stay, the "come hither" eyes she's giving him say everything. But Mando doesn't think he belongs there, even if Baby Yoda does. He plans to leave the little kid behind to be cared for, live a normal life. That plan is interrupted by a bounty hunter hiding in the forests. His sniper scope trained first on Mando, then horrifyingly on Baby Yoda. When the shot fires and we fear the absolute worst, we can't help but be relieved to see that Cara Dune has taken the would-be assassin out. But it's all the proof Mando needs that Baby Yoda won't be safe there, or anywhere, and only he can keep him safe.

As The Mandalorian continues to veer from Eastern and Western influences with a plot taken straight from Seven Samurai and Magnificent Seven, it also sets up a purely episodic status quo. While things could change in the final few episodes, it has mostly stuck to a standalone, low-stakes structure and I think that's pretty cool. Important threads carryover, of course, including more revelations about Mando and the Mandalorian culture, but we may be wrong to expect the series to get swept up in huge intergalactic battles and Imperial intrigue. More than any other, "Sanctuary" also shows the evolution of Mando from a cold-hearted warrior into a protector, not just of Baby Yoda but of anyone who is defenseless. This doesn't seem natural to the Mandalorian code, and I wonder if conflicts will arise from it.

While this episode dials things down a little too much on occasion the action we do get is bolstered by Carano's MMA background, lending credibility to Cara Dune as a badass. This is also the first episode where we see the effects budget pushed to the limit, and while that shot of the AT-ST looming ominously in the forests is pretty awesome, it's clear the concessions that had to be made elsewhere because of it.  Now that we've had our breather, the return of Dave Filoni as director means we can expect The Mandalorian to go full throttle once again, and I can't wait to see what trouble Mando and Baby Yoda have to free themselves from.

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'The Mandalorian' Lead Character's Name Is Revealed And He's Not A Fett

I think it's safe to say the kickoff of Disney+ was a massive success, with Disney touting more than 10M sign-ups on the first day.  It's probably a sure bet that many of those folks were eager for The Mandalorian, a brand new Star Wars series with a lead character we've never met before. Or have we? Some have speculated the man under the armor is one we're quite familiar with, like maybe Boba Fett? Or someone else in the Fett clan?

Well, star Pedro Pascal put that speculation to bed in a new ScreenSlam video, where he reveals his character's name. Nope, not a Fett in sight...

“The Mandalorian, whose name is Dyn Jarren, is your iconically cool, flawed, mysterious, loner gunslinger that harkens to the best of the samurai movies and westerns,” said Pascal.

“In talking with Jon [Favreau], I was asking him what I should be looking at?” added Pascal. “I know he loves movies, I love movies. ‘What would you like me to watch?’ I asked him. He immediately brought-up Sergio Leone and Akira Kurosawa.”

As I said in my recap, The Mandalorian definitely nails the space Western vibe, and Kurosawa is clearly an influence.

The point is that The Mandalorian is treading new ground with new characters and that's tremendously exciting. But as we saw with the first episode's shocking finale, there will be secrets and mysteries that will also expand on the universe we know. This should be a lot of fun.

The next episode of The Mandalorian is tomorrow, November 15th.

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'The Mandalorian' Recap, Review, And Thoughts On That Shocking Cliffhanger

*SPOILERS!!!*

After what feels like an eternity of build-up, the first live-action Star Wars series, The Mandalorian, has arrived. It's no surprise they chose it as a launch title for Disney+ because, honestly, who doesn't want to see this? Who hasn't been waiting years for it, ever since those first whispers of a TV series?  And now it's here, and backed by the promise of a huge reveal in the first episode. Well, Lucasfilm wasn't dicking us around on that one. This first episode (of an eight-episode first season) ends on one Hell of a cliffhanger that opens up all sorts of questions.

However, cliffhangers aside, was the episode any good? Absolutely, especially if you're a die-hard Star Wars fan. Creators Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni dive right in and don't bother holding your hand through it. Let's be honest; nobody who isn't already a Star Wars nut is watching this anyway, right? They've got Lady and the Tramp and Noelle for that.  So we don't need a ton of explanation for the mysterious Mandalorian (played by Pedro Pascal), a bounty of obvious renown who kicks things off by taking down a couple of dim-witted toughs who have been harassing his intended prey. An perilous encounter with an ice monster later, we get our first look at an entire cabin full of carbonite prisons, a reminder of when Han Solo was trapped in one of those bad boys by the baddest Mandalorian of them all, Boba Fett.

Little nods like that are what make The Mandalorian so much fun, along with the familiar sound effects, screen wipes, and bits of oddly-placed humor the franchise is known for. We're soon after introduced to Greef Karga (Carl Weathers), who not only takes all of the Mandalorian's cargo off his hands, but gives him another high-paying gig. This one is so secretive it can't go through the usual Bounty Hunter guild channels. There's no description of the asset, other than it's around 50 years old, a vague location of its last sighting, and a meager means of tracking it. Of course, we know nothing of the Client, either.

However, that Client turns out to be the secretive figure played by director Werner Herzog, and he's kinda perfect for this role. Personally, I've always found Herzog to be scary as fuck, and more than a little intimidating. The Client says the asset can be returned dead or alive, preferably alive, but dead for half-price. This angers his colleague, Dr. Pershing (Omid Abtahi), who says this wasn't part of the deal. Clearly, he wants this thing back alive for a reason.

In exchange, the Client offers a piece of beskar metal, sacred to the Mandalorian warriors and essential in crafting their unique armor. We not only see this metal smelted into usable fashion, but flashbacks to the Mandalorian's war-torn childhood as a foundling. You can feel Dave Filoni's fingerprints all over this section, having crafted so much of their history in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels.

Arriving at the location of the Asset, the Mandalorian encounters an old Ugnaught named Kuiil (voiced by Nick Nolte), and battle droid IG-11 (voiced by Taika Waititi). The latter assumes he has a new rival for the prize, but instead he and the Mandalorian team up to gun down the guards protecting the Asset. Once they get inside, the Mandalorian is momentarily puzzled at what they find: a baby.

"They said 50 years old."

"Species age differently", IG-11 responds.

The battle droid says his orders were "quite specific" and is ready to kill the baby, only to be fried by the Mandalorian who decides to either protect the child or just bring it in alive. We aren't quite sure yet, but I think we all have a pretty good guess. Also, I think we can assume the IG-11 was hired by somebody completely different, hence the differing orders.

The creature turns out to be of Yoda's species. Now, those who may be lost in the Star Wars timeline may be a bit confused by this. The Mandalorian takes place after events of Return of the Jedi but before The Force Awakens. Yoda is dead, having lived something like 900 years, and has even been seen as a Force Ghost. So this ain't the O.G. Yoda. Nor is this Yaddle, the only other being of this kind ever seen in the Star Wars canon.  George Lucas always kept Yoda and his kind extremely secret.

The implication is that the birth of one of these creatures is extremely rare, and would be devastating to anybody who fights for the Dark Side. Yoda was arguably the most powerful Force-sensitive creature in the galaxy until all of those darn Skywalkers started sprouting up, and Yaddle was also on the Jedi Council. It stands to reason this one will be very powerful in the Force and could be a huge asset to whichever side it fights on. Remember what's going on at this point. The Jedi are only just starting to rebuild with the emergence of Luke Skywalker, and the Empire has effectively been crushed.

Personally, I quite like the idea of an evil Yoda. Maybe he gets hand delivered to Snoke?

The Mandalorian appears to be setting itself as a Lone Wolf and Cub-style epic, with our hero (?) escorting this child through a series of escalating adventures. Considering the rate at which Yoda age, we probably won't see the baby reach maturity, but might it show off some early Force abilities? That's gotta be in the cards.

Favreau and Filoni deserve a ton of credit for making this first episode truly feel like a space Western, with a stoic, near-silent protagonist whose personal code of ethics clashes with the violent reality he walks in. My only true gripe is they do a terrible job of introducing characters to us. Most of them never even get a name and you have to look them up in the credits. There's enough going on that you shouldn't have to do that.

Also, I need more IG-11. Just more battle droids, period. Battle droids kick ass.  Where's my boy IG-88 at? Can I get a Bossk sighting, please?

Good start for The Mandalorian, and that ending is sure to rock the Star Wars universe like an exploding Death Star. The next episode should arrive this Friday, November 15th.

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'The Mandalorian' Trailer: A New 'Star Wars' Adventure Unfolds As The First Order Gains Strength

When plans for Disney+ were first announced, the hook used to draw in subscribers was The Mandalorian, and it's easy to see why. The first live-action Star Wars series has been rumored about for years, and to deliver on that for fans is both a huge undertaking, a huge accomplishment, and a huge gamble considering the polarized reaction to the franchise of late.

That said, this looks absolutely incredible and like we're getting a big budget movie in serialized format, right in the comfort of our own homes. Brought to us by the powerhouse duo of Jon Favreau and Star Wars Rebels creator Dave Filoni (if you ask me, the guy who should be Star Wars' version of Kevin Feige), The Mandalorian is a prequel set between events of Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. It's during this time we meet a lone Mandalorian gunfighter played by Pedro Pascal, as he has adventures on the outer rim of the galaxy far from New Republic authority.

Joining Pascal are Gina Carano, Nick Nolte, Giancarlo Esposito, Emily Swallow, Carl Weathers, Bill Burr, Omid Abtahi, Taika Waititi, and Werner Herzog, with Deborah Chow, Rick Famuyiwa, Taika Waititi, and Bryce Dallas Howard directing episodes. Disney has so much faith in what they have a second season has already been given a thumbs up.

The Mandalorian kicks Disney+ off with a bang on November 12th. Check out the new trailer below along with a bunch of new character posters.

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Did Patty Jenkins Just Confirm Pedro Pascals 'Wonder Woman 1984' Character?

If there is one actor for whom I'm especially happy to see Hollywood embracing it's Pedro Pascal. His electrifying debut as the Red Viper of Dorne, Prince Oberyn Martell on Game of Thrones was enough to sell me on the movie star ability of the Chilean born actor. Since his all too short stint on GoT the actor has made the rounds in plot heavy supporting roles and is heading up the eagerly anticipated The Mandalorian for Disney+, though it's not known yet whether we will ever actually see him without the helmet.

When images hit of Pascal in character on the upcoming Wonder Woman 1984, speculation immediately began that he would be playing Maxwell Lord, a top-tier member of the DC Comics "rich-guy villian" subset. Well, as per usual, we internet nerds know our shit and Patty Jenkins somewhat mysterious tweet seems to confirm those guesses. See below for the tweet and let us know what you think!

Well hello... Max. #WW1984 pic.twitter.com/BgWsjyJixw

— Patty Jenkins (@PattyJenks) October 24, 2019

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'The Mandalorian' Trailer: A Lone Bounty Hunter Fights To Survive A Lawless Galaxy

The most anticipated trailer of the day is here. Today at D23, Disney revealed the first trailer for the first ever live-action Star Wars series, The Mandalorian. The series was the brainchild of Jon Favreau, and stars Pedro Pascal as the titular bounty hunter, a lone gunslinger on the far reaches of known space.

I'm not going to bore you with details, this trailer kicks ass. Not only do we see a bunch of Stormtrooper helmets on spikes, but we get a glimpse at the lawless universe in the wake of the Empire's collapse after Return of the Jedi. Giancarlo Esposito looks to be firmly on the dark side of the Force, we see armed standoffs, an assortment of familiar alien creatures including a flirty Twilek, and battle droid IG-88 gunning down a bunch of goons. And to have it all end with director Werner Herzog, in a rare role, is just the cherry on top. I can't wait.

The Mandalorian hits Disney+ on November 12th.

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Pedro Pascal, Christian Slater, And Many More Join Robert Rodriguez's 'We Can Be Heroes'

Wow. Robert Rodriguez's Netflix superhero movie We Can Be Heroes is looking to be a huge undertaking, with a giant all-star cast similar to the director's Spy Kids franchise. Along with the previously-announced Priyanka Chopra Jonas, the film will now include Pedro Pascal, Christian Slater, Boyd Holbrook, Sung Kang, and many many more.

Rodriguez will produce, write, and direct the original superhero movie, which finds alien invaders kidnapping Earth's superheroes, causing their kids to team up and come to the rescue. Yep, very Spy Kids-esque.  Also joining the cast are YaYa Gosselin, Akira Akbar, Andrew Diaz, Andy Walken, Hala Finley, Isaiah Russell-Bailey, Lotus Blossom, Lyon Daniels, Nathan Blair, Vivien Lyra Blair, Adriana Barraza, and Christopher McDonald.

A lot of familiar faces here, including Fast & Furious' Kang and Logan's Holbrook. Some of the other lesser names you may recognize upon seeing them are Akira Akbar who played young Monica Rambeau in Captain Marvel, and YaYa Gosselin from The Purge TV series and the movie Peppermint with Jennifer Garner.

Filming on We Can Be Heroes is going on now, so we should see it sometime in 2020. [Deadline]

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Check out 'The Mandalorian' Panel And New Images From Star Wars Celebration

Fans who attended Star Wars Celebration yesterday were treated to something special: the first footage from Disney+ series The Mandalorian. On hand for the panel were showrunner John Favreau and director Dave Filoni, joined by star Pedro Pascal who plays the titular Mandalorian, Gina Carano as the ex-Rebel shocktrooper Cara Dune, and Carl Weathers as Greef, the leader of a bounty hunter's guild.

Along with the teaser and featurette showed at the panel, four new images were released featuring the principle characters. Others in the cast include Warner Herzog, who apparently features in the shown footage, Giancarlo Esposito, Nick Nolte, Emily Swallow, and Omid Abtahi. Filoni directed the first episode, while others will be helmed by Bryce Dallas Howard, Rick Famuyiwa, Deborah Chow, and Taika Waititi.

The Mandalorian hits Disney+ on launch day, November 12th, with each episode dropping weekly. Sorry, no binging on this one! Check out the panel below, sadly with the teaser footage edited out! 

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Review: 'Triple Frontier' Oscar Isaac Takes the A-List to the Jungle

5 hyper-masculine movie stars playing ex-special forces soldiers who head into the jungle to take out a drug lord. Did I fall asleep and wake up in 1987? If so, can I stay here because this is awesome! Look, I don’t actually long for a return of the Canon movie days where pistols could fire 100 shots and the hero never gets hurt (unless it’s an arm shot…you know, for drama) but there’s some manner of primal satisfaction watching the good guys take it to the bad guys with nothing but their grenades and good ole’ ‘murican spirit. What I’m trying to say is I love action movies so when I heard that Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Pedro Pascale, and Garret Hedlund (I guess) were all headlining a new action flick from Netflix I was more then stoked. Of course, it wasn’t the movie I expected at all….and that ended up being a great thing.

While on his latest mission to take out Colombian drug Lord Lorea Santiago “Pope” Garcia (Oscar Isaac) learns through his informant and lover that Lorea is hiding out in his jungle estate with the entirety of his cast. Pope sees a way to not just cleanse the world of Lorea’s mayhem but to make a nice little retirement out of the deal. To kill Lorea and recover his cash Pope must pull his former special ops team members out of retirement for one last job. Tom “Redfly Miller (Ben Affleck) is now selling…or trying to sell real estate, William “Ironhead” Miller (Charlie Hunnam) is a motivational speaker for the military, his brother Ben Miller (who didn’t get a cool code name for some reason and is played by Garrett Hedlund) is a regional MMA fighter and Francisco “Catfish” Morales (Pedro Pascale) is a pilot who’s just had his wings clipped. Basically….no one is happy, so it makes Popes job of convincing these guys to go to another country and murder a man to steal his money all that much easier.

Ok, so I already mentioned that this was not the movie I thought it would be, it is definitely not a throwback to 80’s hyper-violence and machismo. It was much more real and definitely more thoughtful then those films, by MILES. All the way up to the assault on Lorea’s compound it feels like it’s just about to go down that road but every time it gets there it makes a sharp left. The subject is treated with the respect of someone honoring what the real-life counterparts of these characters would be. There’s enough action to keep the explosion junkies hooked but the real draw of this movie is the tension. If you read any books about combat or the military one of the things you’ll hear repeated over and over again is that the job mostly consists of waiting and planning with insane spikes of adrenaline here and there. 1 week of training and planning for 10 minutes of combat. The film doesn’t quite replicate that…I mean that would be insanely boring, but it does wait just long enough to let you relax before hitting the next action beat. I use the term relaxed lightly because I was never exactly relaxed. There’s a genius in the way the standard action tropes are used to wind you tight just before realizing that “no, I guess they aren’t going to do it the way everyone else does”. One character in particular had no less then 5 moments where they would have been killed in a standard action movie. Without giving too much away this character could have been knocked off without affecting much so you are waiting for him to bite it. Time after time he’s the one elected to “Go check it out” where you just know the shit’s going to hit the fan and he’s going to be the first one to catch that breeze. Yet, they don’t take the low hanging fruit. All of this builds up to the movie’s most climactic and gut-wrenching moment that I did not see coming until just seconds before. If I had to pick something I didn’t like about the movie it would have to be Ben Affleck’s character arc. Really this is just being nitpicky and I’m pretty sure there’s a solid explanation that I’ll get to at the end but the guys personality just flips a switch. We’re introduced to him and he’s been beaten up by the world, he sucks at his job, his wife doesn’t want anything to do with him and he can’t make ends meet, but even with all of that he seems like a decent person and the last one of the group that wants to have anything to do with the plan. Once they find the money he becomes this reckless and ruthless sociopath. The junior psychologists out there will tell me that this is his true self and once he’s back in his element he fully embraces it…but if that’s the case then they should have alluded to it in the talks between the other team members. Like I said, nitpicky, but I have to show both sides.

Triple Frontier is almost a thinking mans action movie. It’s not deep enough to really merit that accolade but it’s close. If you’re looking strictly for a movie where ex-soldiers rain down hellfire on a random Colombian drug lord then this isn’t for you, but if you’re looking for something that checks the action boxes along with a few more then I would definitely recommend booking away the 2 hours to check this out. My only parting thought is this. Is Charlie Hunnam going to ever get the film series he deserves? The guy is magnetic, a magnificent actor with the physicality and demeanor to pull off being an action hero. That’s not really a common mix of traits. Let’s all forget about King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (which I totally enjoyed) and the less then stellar domestic box office of Pacific Rim and give this guy a good damn franchise already.

3.5 Out of 5

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'Triple Frontier' Trailer: Ben Affleck And Oscar Isaac Lead Netflix's Drug War Heist Flick

Ben Affleck making it known he is no longer Batman sorta overshadowed the reason why he was on The Jimmy Kimmel Show in the first place. It was to promote the release of Triple Frontier, the long-developing drug war thriller that will be hitting Netflix next month. So a new trailer will just have to pick up the slack in teasing a film that has had a most circuitous route to the big screen.

Affleck is joined in the star-studded cast by Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Pedro Pascal, Garett Hedlund, and Adria Arjona, a group that could command big dollars at the box office. Fortunately, it's one of the few Netflix movies that will also receive a theatrical run, similar to the rollout for Roma. Does that mean it has similar awards aspirations? Probably not, but it could be a solid-to-excellent flick based on the footage in this trailer.

Here's the synopsis: A group of former Special Forces operatives (Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund and Pedro Pascal) reunite to plan a heist in a sparsely populated multi-border zone of South America. For the first time in their prestigious careers these unsung heroes undertake this dangerous mission for self instead of country. But when events take an unexpected turn and threaten to spiral out of control, their skills, their loyalties and their morals are pushed to a breaking point in an epic battle for survival.

Triple Frontier opens on March 15th.

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Lucasfilm Confirms Full Cast For 'Star Wars' Series 'The Mandalorian'

After weeks of casting rumors on Disney's The Mandalorian series, the full cast has finally been revealed. While most of it is confirmation of what we already knew, there are a few new faces including one that makes me especially happy.

Pedro Pascal has been confirmed to star as the title character, a gunfighting Mandalorian on the galaxy's Outer Rim. Also confirmed are the previously-mentioned Carl Weathers, Nick Nolte, Gina Carano, and Werner Herzog, which is such a wild group to imagine I have to think most of them are voicing CGI aliens. Also joining the cast are Emily Swallow (Supernatural), Omid Abtahl (American Gods), and best of all, Giancarlo Esposito of Breaking Bad, School Daze, The Maze Runner, and so much more. In his case I hope he's playing a human character and not hidden by digital effects or tons of makeup.

Production is underway now but details remain scarce. We've heard of at least one surprising motivation for the Mandalorian's journey, however there's nothing in Lucasfilm's press release that reveals anything further.

The Mandalorian will be exclusive to Disney+ beginning late next year.

Lucasfilm is pleased to announce the cast of the first-ever Star Wars live-action series — The Mandalorian.

Pedro Pascal (Narcos) has been cast in the title role as a lone Mandalorian gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy. He is joined by Gina Carano (Deadpool), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad), Emily Swallow (Supernatural), Carl Weathers (Predator), Omid Abtahi (American Gods), Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man), and Nick Nolte (Affliction).

“We’re having a great time working with this incredibly talented group and excited for everyone to see what we’re up to,” says Executive Producer Jon Favreau.

Currently in production, The Mandalorian is written and executive produced by Jon Favreau, with Dave Filoni (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels) directing the first episode and serving as executive producer alongside Kathleen Kennedy and Colin Wilson. Additional episodic directors include Deborah Chow (Jessica Jones), Rick Famuyiwa (Dope), Bryce Dallas Howard (Solemates), and Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok).

The highly-anticipated series will be exclusive to Disney+, The Walt Disney Company’s upcoming direct-to-consumer streaming service, which is set to launch in the U.S. in late 2019.

Stay tuned to StarWars.com for updates.

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'Triple Frontier' Trailer: The Decade-Long Wait For The Star-Studded Drug Thriller Is Over

Good lord, if it feels like we've been waiting forever to see ANYTHING from Triple Frontier, it's because we have. Nearly a decade ago this was meant to be Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal's big followup to The Hurt Locker, but Bigelow departed it and moved on to Zero Dark Thirty. At the time the amazing cast included names such as Will Smith, Tom Hanks, and Johnny Depp with Mark Wahlberg also attached at a later date. Eventually, J.C. Chandor (All is Lost) came aboard, but just as shooting was to begin last year, Paramount dumped the film and most of the cast went with it. At that time it was looking to star Ben and Casey Affleck, Tom Hardy, Mahershala Ali, and Channing Tatum. Uh, yeah. Pretty awesome.

Cut to now and the cast is very different, with the exception of Ben Affleck who remains on board. Chandor is still behind the camera and now shares a co-writing credit with Boal. Affleck's co-stars now include Garrett Hedlund, Pedro Pascal, Charlie Hunnam, Oscar Isaac, and Adria Arjona. Not bad, but hardly where this thing started. Oh, and it's on Netflix now, too, another saving grace by the streaming company because this film was dead in the water for a long time.  On a side note, I can only imagine our friend and fellow writer Roxana Hadadi has squealed maniacally at the current lineup. Hedlund, Pascal, Hunnam, Isaac, it's a dream team for sure.

Anyway, Triple Frontier takes place in the dangerous border zone between Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil, as five friends, all military vets, reunite to take down a South American drug lord, unleashing Hell in the process. It looks solid, as well it should, but it better be friggin' gold considering the wait and likely investment.

Triple Frontier hits Netflix in 2019. At one time this was my most anticipated movie, and now I'm not so sure. Call me cautiously optimistic.

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Pedro Pascal Will Lead Disney's 'Star Wars' Live-Action Series 'The Mandalorian'

One of the recent rumors about Disney's live-action Star Wars series The Mandalorian just paid off. Game of Thrones and Kingsman: The Golden Circle's Pedro Pascal is in talks to star in the Disney+ streaming series developed by Jon Favreau.

While details on his character aren't confirmed, he's expected to play the "lone gunfighter" character from the synopsis and seen in the initial images. The series is set between the events of Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, as the First Order, is just started to gain a foothold across the galaxy. Pascal's character will be involved in adventures in the outer reaches where the New Republic holds little authority.

Pascal quickly became a fan-favorite after his all-too-brief but unforgettable run on Game of Thrones. He's also starred in Netflix's Narcos series, and had roles in The Equalizer 2, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, and many more. He'll be seen next year opposite Gal Gadot in Wonder Woman 1984.  In The Mandalorian he may or may not be joined in the cast by Carl Weathers, but as a huge fan of both I damn sure hope that happens.

The Mandalorian is expected to arrive in 2019 as part of the Disney+ launch. [Variety]

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Pedro Pascal Rumored For Disney's Live-Action 'Star Wars' Series; Possible Directors Revealed

There's something refreshing about a good old fashioned Star Wars rumor. In this case we've got a couple of them about Jon Favreau's Star Wars TV series, which is in production now. And that means you can expect to hear a lot more speculation about it, like who will star and who might be directing each episode.

These reports have surfaced from the generally reliable folks at Making Star Wars and Discussing Film, who say Game of Thrones and Wonder Woman 1984 actor Pedro Pascal is up for the lead role. Exactly what that role might be is unclear since nothing about the setting has been made official. However, it does appear to be set on the planet Mandalore and center on the warrior Mandalorians post-Return of the Jedi. Whether that means we can expect an appearance by Boba Fett, nobody knows.

As for who could be directing, Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Alan Taylor are all said to be on board. Favreau is an obvious choice since he's spear-heading the whole thing, and obviously has a deep connection with Disney thanks to Iron Mans 1 & 2, The Jungle Book, and The Lion King. Taylor would be returning to TV after a couple of failed blockbusters in Terminator Genisys and Thor: The Dark World. He directed some of the best Game of Thrones episodes before jumping to the big screen. Filoni is the most exciting name here, though. He may not be a known commodity to those who only watch the live-action films, but he was the beloved creative voice behind Star Wars Rebels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

No word on when the 8-episode first season will kick off, but expect it to be soon after Disney's streaming service launches.

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'Prospect' Trailer: Sci-Fi And Old West Meet In The Breakout SXSW Hit

Sometimes a film hits the festival circuit early, earns a lot of buzz, but then it takes forever for it to finally arrives in theaters so the rest of us can see it. Such is the case with Prospect, a SXSW standout that has already earned comparisons to Duncan Jones's Moon for its use of practical effects and retro vibe. And those elements are certainly evident in the newly-released trailer, but what I'm digging is how seamless it appears to incorporate the look, style, and plot of an old school Western.

Starring Pedro Pascal, Jay Duplass, Andre Royo, and newcomer Sophie Thatcher, the film follows a father and daughter pair who venture to a faraway planet in hopes of striking it rich prospecting for a new and valuable resource. Basically it's the Gold Rush interplanetary style, with Pascal as the deadly outlaw who makes their job considerably more difficult.

Prospect was put together by writer/directors Zeek Earl and Christopher Caldwell, based on their short film.  The grit of the Old West and the sleekness of sci-fi tech make for quite the combination, and I can see why this one has everyone excited. I'm excited, too.

Prospect hits theaters November 2nd.

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'Wonder Woman 1984': First Look At Pedro Pascal And His Snap-On Hairdo

In case you couldn't tell Wonder Woman 1984 is set in the '80s (it doesn't mean there have been 1983 movies previously, duh), director Patty Jenkins is here to make it plainly obvious. How? By offering a first look at Pedro Pascal and the helmet hair he'll be sporting in the anticipated sequel. It screams either a high-rolling Wall Street douche or a TV anchorman. Either way, that hair has got some life to it.

Can't…Stop… Watching… @PedroPascal1 !!! #WW84 pic.twitter.com/6s7YdkGQNL

— Patty Jenkins (@PattyJenks) July 30, 2018

We still have no idea who Pascal and his snap-on hairdo will be playing, though. Is it an established DC Universe character or what? Plus, why is he being seen in an old fashioned tube TV setup? Is he in a TV commercial? Or is he on a monitor screen sortof like the one we've seen Gal Gadot's Diana staring intently at in a prior image?

If I have to hazard a guess, Pascal is playing a version of Maxwell Lord, a shrewd businessman/supervillain who has played an integral role in the lives of the Justice League for years. In one of her defining moments, Wonder Woman snapped Lord's neck in public after he had been revealed as a criminal mastermind who used inside information to destroy the Justice League International from within. He also shot and murdered the Blue Beetle in cold blood. Lord is a bad dude, but also very convincing, and Pascal would be perfect for the role if that's what it turns out to be.

Also starring Chris Pine and Kristen Wiig, Wonder Woman 1984 opens November 1st 2019.

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