There's good news for fans of The Mandalorian as Season 2 of Jon Favreau's Star Wars series won't be delayed due to coronavirus (COVID-19).
Disney CEO Bob Chapek confirmed to CNBC that The Mandalorian Season 2 won't be moved from its planned October release. Chapek said movies and shows in pre and post-production have largely been unaffected, and it's only projects in the middle phase that will face delays. "Take for example Mandalorian," Chapek explained. "The Mandalorian was shot before COVID really hit and so we've been in post-production and there will be no delay on Mandalorian."
Even though Disney's slate of movies has been shuffled, things have been easier for The Mandalorian. However, Chapek didn't reveal whether troubled Marvel Cinematic Universe TV shows The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and WandaVision will still hit their respective August and December release dates. It's important to remember November will mark the end of many subscribers' annual Disney+ plans. If there's a lack of new content like the upcoming MCU shows, the streaming service could struggle to lure viewers back.
The Mandalorian has a lot of special effects that need to be added once basic filming has been completed, meaning the crew has been busy on post-production and has been able to finish things off without a delay to shooting. The world of Star Wars also has plenty more to offer Disney+ subscribers with Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, upcoming shows based on Cassian Andor and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and a female-led series from the creator of Russian Doll.
As well as The Mandalorian giving Giancarlo Esposito's Moff Gideon an expanded role, Season 2 has added a galaxy of stars. Alongside Aliens' Michael Biehn playing a bounty hunter from the Mandalorian's past, Rosario Dawson is reportedly giving Ahsoka Tano her live-action debut, and the latest reports claim Star Wars: Attack of the Clones' Temeura Morrison is suiting up as Boba Fett.
If a host of new talent joining Pedro Pascal and company wasn't enough, new directorial talent includes Ant-Man's Peyton Reed and Sin City's Robert Rodriguez. Rodriguez recently shared a photo of himself alongside Baby Yoda to hype his episode and the return of the fan-favorite character for Season 2. The Mandalorian was preemptively renewed for a third season ahead of Season 2's release, so there's plenty more to come from this new corner of the galaxy far, far away.
Created by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian stars Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers and Giancarlo Esposito. Season 1 is available now on Disney+, with Season 2 premiering in October.