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.
