The Mandalorian has Tony Stark and co. to thank, in part, for its existence as the executive producers of the hit space Western series reveal how Iron Man helped kickstart its development.
Speaking to Empire, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni recalled their first meeting and how the idea for The Mandalorian was conceptualized. Favreau, who created the action-adventure show for Disney+, told the story of when he went to Skywalker Ranch to do a sound mix for Iron Man, crossing paths with Filoni who was preparing to launch The Clone Wars. The award-winning helmer put a word in for himself to Filoni, and the rest was history. "I casually said, "Hey, if you ever need somebody to do a voice…" And then he called me up [to voice] Pre Vizsla [a Mandalorian warrior]," he explained. When Disney+ got announced years later, Favreau went to Kathleen Kennedy, the president of Lucasfilm, to pitch The Mandalorian. Kennedy had the idea to pair him with Filoni, as it turned out he was working on an idea for a similar project.
Filoni, who's also the executive producer of Lucasfilm, echoed those sentiments, realizing Favreau had a good handle on Star Wars canon with his presentation of Iron Man. "I felt instinctively when I saw Iron Man that Jon had a great handle on how Star Wars actually worked. It was a fun adventure — there were comedic elements, but there was also a lot of heart. That's something that's throughout Jon's work, this feeling of heart," he said.
Jon Favreau's MCU and Star Wars Career
Amid an acclaimed acting career including roles in Daredevil, Avengers: Endgame, and multiple Spider-Man films, Favreau first earned himself directorial acclaim by helming Iron Man and Iron Man 2, both of which became huge critical and box-office successes. The superhero movies also sparked the career Renaissance of Robert Downey Jr., who played Tony Stark/Iron Man throughout the film trilogy and recently paid tribute to Favreau during his Hollywood Walk of Fame induction on Feb. 13.
In 2018, Favreau signed on to do The Mandalorian as showrunner. He and Filoni serve as executive producers alongside Colin Wilson and Lucasfilm's president Kathleen Kennedy. The show was set five years after the events of Return of the Jedi and the fall of the Galactic Empire. Since its November 2019 debut, The Mandalorian has been a massive hit for Disney+, bringing in some of its best viewership numbers and garnering favor with critics, currently boasting a 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It also spawned a spinoff series, The Book of Boba Fett, another brainchild of Favreau's that debuted last year.
Season 3 of The Mandalorian has already broken records before its premiere, with its trailer shattering Obi-Wan Kenobi's viewership mark within 24 hours of its release. Once again starring Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin/The Mandalorian, the series promises more Mandalorians and gripping action. Season 3 also features Carl Weathers (Greef Karga), Omid Abtahi (Dr. Pershing), Katee Sackhoff (Bo-Katan Kryze) and Amy Sedaris (Peli Motto).
The Mandalorian Season 3 premieres via Disney+ on Mar. 1.
Source: Empire