When Pedro Pascal was first cast in the flagship Disney Plus Star Wars series The Mandalorian, he wasn’t loved with quite the same intensity as he is now. He’s since become the internet’s Daddy and been memed into oblivion. As his fame has grown, it would be understandable if writers Favreau and Filoni would want Pascal to reveal his face more. But this is something that Pascal himself has resisted.
Pedro Pascal’s Star Wars character Din Djarin’s defining feature is his strict adherence to the Mandalorian creed, and their rule that Mandalorians wear helmets and don’t reveal their faces. He has only removed his helmet three times so far – in front of a droid when injured, in a life-or-death situation, and finally for his emotional goodbye with Grogu. Fans didn’t get to see Pascal’s face at all in season three.
Pascal revealed to Variety that while filming the Star Wars series, “there was actually a version of an episode in season 2 where he takes his helmet off in the beginning of the episode and is in a different kind of costume and we had a conversation, and I was like; ‘I think we should hold it’ and they were like; ‘are you crazy?'”
Pascal continued; “I really think it should come when the stakes feel the highest. I would much rather the show work, than betray that for the human need to be seen.” It’s testament to all of the cast and crew that Din Djarin has become one of the best Star Wars characters, despite his face being seen so rarely.
Pascal added that The Mandalorian was able to become “mostly a voiceover gig for season three,” as this was also when he was starring in The Last of Us – which took the best part of a year to film. Speaking of being part of the wider Star Wars cast, Pascal concluded; “It’s harder work than you would think, but more fun than you would expect as well.”
When watching the Star Wars movies in order, there are plenty of characters who have become iconic without a human face – the best Star Wars villain Darth Vader, for starters. When we finally got the Darth Vader face reveal in Return of the Jedi, played by a little-known actor called Sebastian Shaw – it had all the more impact.