At this point, it’s hard to believe there was a time when Jon Favreau was only known for directing comedies like Swingers and Elf. Now, he’s associated with two of the biggest franchises of all time, with the most recent one being Star Wars. Of course, Favreau cut his teeth as both a director and producer at Marvel Studios, and he’s taken a number of the lessons he learned from the company and is applying them to his work on Disney+’s The Mandalorian.
The show has been no small undertaking, especially when you consider that it’s the first live-action TV series to come out of the Star Wars franchise. The Mandalorian is notable for being set in a relatively isolated period in the continuity. However, Jon Favreau acknowledges that there are still larger stories at play and a plethora of characters who could headline their own projects. This is where the director’s work in the MCU comes into play:
I learned a lot from my experience over at Marvel, where it was very organic, how it would evolve. You’re paying attention to a larger story arcs and characters that could come together, but also smaller stories of individual characters that could go off [on their own thing]. The key here is keep maintaining the quality and never scaling to the point that we’re losing sight of what’s important to us and what people like about the show.
When it comes to massive franchises like these, world-building is so important. It’s a tricky thing to master because, as Favreau mentioned to Variety, you want things to “evolve” in an “organic” way. This has been the case for the MCU and, so far, The Mandalorian is off to a great start.
The Disney+ series really does feel like the first Iron Man movie in the sense that it’s potentially ground zero for what could be an expansive franchise. The show does a great job of focusing on the main characters, but it has put other characters in place who could spinoff into new stories.
This could be especially true when it comes to the highly anticipated second season. The first trailer teases new destinations for Mando and The Child, which will surely lead to new character introductions. One of the newish faces viewers will reportedly meet this time around is Jedi fan-favorite Ahoska Tano, who will reportedly be played by Rosario Dawson. If there’s any character with spinoff potential, it would have to be her.
There’s a lot to consider when thinking about how the world of The Mandalorian will continue to expand within the already-sprawling Star Wars universe. The possibilities really are limitless, as there are plenty of potential directions. Luckily, the show has a capable creator like Jon Favreau at the helm to help steer the ship to the right place.
The Mandalorian Season 2 will premiere on Disney+ on Friday, October 30.
