Pedro Pascal has undeniably revitalized the Star Wars universe with his groundbreaking Star Wars streaming spin-off, The Mandalorian. From breath-taking action sequences to to heartwarming moments between its cast, Pascal, along with creators Dave Feloni and Jon Favreau, has breathed new life into the franchise when it was struggling the most.
Due to his magnetic presence in the series, it comes as a shock that the Last of Us actor will not be returning as Din Djarin, the titular Mandalorian, for the 4th season of the show. A post-SAF-AFTRA landscape has left many a project dealing with the loss of actors, and Disney, despite its size. does not seem immune to it.
Pedro Pascal has decided he cannot return to the Mandalorian
Pedro Pascal has become somewhat of an icon in geekdom. Be it Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones, Din Djarin in The Mandalorian, or Joel Miller in The Last of Us, the Narcos actor has essayed some of the most brilliant roles in the past 2 decades, bringing home numerous accolades and fan prestige in the wake of his work. No wonder the actor is so sought after, as he pairs amazing acting skills with a familiar face that fans enjoy watching on screen.
Pascal has signed on by Ridley Scott for the sequel to his hit 2000 film Gladiator. Further, the actor has also committed to The Last of Us Season 2, making him categorically unavailable for the Star Wars property, reported Small Screen. Considering the numerous delays in projects due to the SAG -AFTRA strikes, projects can’t be delayed any further, making it so that studios must work with the timelines and schedules they currently have at hand, no matter how detrimental they are to the project at large.
Here is who could play Din Djarin as Pedro Pascal hangs up the helmet and armor
It is yet to be seen whether Pascal has completely exited the series. Given the tight nature of the schedules in a post-strike setting.
There are a few things in general that one needs to keep in mind while casting a character like Din Djarin. He has now become a father, and by his admission, is going to go for less dangerous missions, he is still a Mandalorian at heart, making him a dangerous enemy for anyone foolish enough to take him on. Further, the person must be able to exhume the same level of parental love towards Grogu, his adopted son and protege. Here are some actors that could essay the role in that capacity:
1. Micheal B. Jordan
Michael B Jordan exhumes a sort of friendliness that is difficult to engineer. A gifted actor, with some serious heavyweight potential, fans can no doubt see the actor embody the physicality that a role like that of Din Djarin demands. Having not only starred in the Creed franchise, Jordan has displayed his fighting chops in MCU’s Black Panther as well. Given the accomplishments that the actor has had on the big and small screens, it is not a stretch to see the actor play Din Djarin.
2. Karl Urban
Karl Urban has been riding high as the star of Amazon’s The Boys, playing the role of Billy Butcher, who gets together with a rag-tag team of allies to take down a cape-wearing fascist, who is after a child under his care. Sound familiar? Not only does Urban look the part of Din Djarin, but the Lord of the Rings alum also has the acting chops to match the Last of Us alum blow for blow.
3. Sebastian Stan
While fans have been campaigning for Sebastian Stan to take over the role of young Luke Skywalker, Din Djarin could prove just as well of a match for the Captain America: The First Avenger actor. Thanks to his role as the Winter Soldier, the actor seems more than suited for the action sequences that come with the character of The Mandalorian. The actor has also proven himself to be able to handle emotionally vibrant scenes, as seen on Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
4. Ryan Goslin
While it might seem like an odd choice, Gosling has played his share of violent and action-oriented characters, which would allow him to take over the physically demanding role of the Mandalorian. While stand-in doubles do most of the physical performance for the character, there are certain key moments when the actor has to dawn the costume of the character. Gosling has done his share of sci-fi action work with Blade Runner 2049 and The Gray Man, making him a great choice for the role as well.
5. Idris Elba
Ever since the character of Bloodsport made an appearance on the big screen, it is as if the role of The Mandalorian has been waiting for the actor to take over, While no stranger to science fiction suits, Elba would look especially dapper as Mandalorian, and given his history with works like The Suicide Squad and Pacific Rim, he also seems to be the right choice to pull off the more delicate and emotional roles that the story would demand.
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