The Mandalorian introduced Star Wars fans to a brand new villain named Moff Gideon, the leader of a remnant of Imperial forces who sought the asset known to viewers as 'The Child' (aka Baby Yoda). The character was portrayed by Breaking Bad star Giancarlo Esposito, who recently discussed details about Gideon's role in the second season of the Disney+ series.
Moff Gideon made his first appearance in the penultimate episode of The Mandalorian's first season, which concluded with the titular bounty hunter and his cohorts being held up in a facility on the planet Navarro while surrounded by former Imperial forces. Although Gideon demanded that they surrender Baby Yoda or face certain death, the band of heroes was able to escape through a sewer grate and fight their way through the battalion of stormtroopers waiting for them at the end of a lava river, though not without the self-sacrifice of the droid IG-11. While Gideon managed to track the team down and pursue them in his TIE fighter, the Mandalorian made use of his jetpack to bring the spacecraft down, seemingly killing the former Imperial officer.
However, unbeknownst to our heroes, the final shot of the series revealed Gideon survived the crash as he emerged from the vessel wielding the Darksaber. During an interview on Good Morning America, Esposito noted that Gideon's pursuit of Baby Yoda will continue when The Mandalorian returns for its second season. "My character, Moff Giddeon, is the warden of the galaxy, " said Esposito. "He is a remnant of the Imperial Empire and he is still searching for his quarry, which we hope he'll find."
Esposito added that he's happy to be part of a series that depicts a story about humanity and heroism, empowering themes that he believes are important today. While Baby Yoda has garnered attention for his cuteness and the mystery surrounding his origin, The Child will also play a crucial role in allowing viewers to look inward throughout the second season of The Mandalorian, according to Esposito. "He's going to make this show and allow us to take a journey spiritually to who we really are inside," he said.
While Disney has not officially ordered additional seasons of The Mandalorian beyond the second, Esposito previously indicated the series will lay the groundwork for a potential third and fourth outing. In the meantime, the second season of the Star Wars series is expected to provide more insight into Baby Yoda's past and how Moff Gideon acquired the Darksaber.
While The Mandalorian story is currently a part of Disney and Lucasfilm's television plans for the Star Wars franchise, the creative team behind the series has expressed interest in bringing the adventure to the big screen one day. According to showrunner Jon Favreau, the concept of a Mandalorian film isn't outside the realm of possibility on account of there being "no rulebook" for the series at this time.
The Mandalorian season two premieres exclusively on Disney+ on October 30th, 2020.
Source: Good Morning America