A new rumor claims that The Mandalorian actor Pedro Pascal quit filming the show halfway through the second season.
The rumor comes from YouTuber Grace Randolph during her The Mandalorian Season 2 trailer reaction video.
Randolph first points to Entertainment Weekly’s recent spotlight on The Mandalorian Season 2 where showrunner Jon Favreau notes Season 2 will introduce “a larger story in the world.”
Favreau explains, “The new season is about introducing a larger story in the world. He adds, “The stories become less isolated, yet each episode has its own flavor, and hopefully we’re bringing a lot more scope to the show.”
Executive producer and director Dave Filoni adds, “Everything gets bigger, the stakes get higher, but also the personal story between the Child and the Mandalorian develops in a way I think people will enjoy.”
Favreau would then explain that they will be following different storylines outside of Pascal’s The Mandalorian. He tells EW, “As we introduce other characters, there are opportunities to follow different storylines.”
He continued, “The world was really captivated by Game of Thrones and how that evolved as the characters followed different storylines — that’s very appealing to me as an audience member.”
Randolph notes this is evidence to back up her information, which she claims comes from two different sources. She goes on to note that this rumored row with Pascal began when the actor wanted to film a number of scenes with his helmet off.
Randolph explains, “While filming Season 2 Pedro Pascal really wanted to have some scenes with his helmet off.” However, she notes, “The Mandalorian creative team wouldn’t budge on this.”
She continues, “So Pedro Pascal, from what I’ve heard from two sources now, was frustrated about this and also was pretty darn uncomfortable in the Mando suit on set. So, he became difficult.”
“And the final straw through, even though he was difficult to be around on set, the final straw was that he went to Lucasfilm, from what I’ve heard from my sources, to try and get them to intervene on his behalf. And you combine that with Lucasfilm already trying to get involved with story aspects of Season 2, which I’ve also heard. Including focusing more on standalone episodes rather than making them more connected, which I’ve heard The Mandalorian creative team wanted to do, which was kind of happening at the end of Season 1,” Randolph stated.
Randolph then details that Pascal was asked to leave halfway through filming, “So, when Pedro Pascal went to Lucasfilm, the Mando team was like, ‘You know what, you should just go.’ And Pedro Pascal did. And that happened halfway through filming.”
She later states, “Now, as I said, I’ve heard the break up was pretty bad with both sides upset.”
Interestingly, in the same EW article that Randolph originally cites regarding Favreau teasing new storylines and characters, it also reveals that Pascal did in fact agree to take his helmet off to help Gina Carano film scenes.
EW’s James Hibberd writes, “While former MMA fighter Carano, 38 — who made her dramatic TV debut with this role — says she’s more confident this time around, explaining she was helped by Pascal agreeing to remove Mando’s helmet during their scenes whenever the camera was only on her.”
Carano added, “I really wanted to see his eyes, which really helped.”
And as Randolph notes, in the final episode of Season 1, Pascal does take his helmet off after he suffers what appears to be a fatal injury during a shootout with Moff Gideon’s forces.
What do you make of this rumor? Do you think Pascal exited production of The Mandalorian Season 2?