The Mandalorian Season 3 might be arriving earlier than expected, according to series star Giancarlo Esposito.

Esposito, who plays the villainous Moff Gideon, discussed the third season of the Disney+ Star Wars series during a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show. "You’ll get [Season 3] soon," he said. "I've got a few things in regard to that to do to put some finishing touches on what I do, but I believe it'll be sometime this summer. No date set yet, but coming soon."

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Esposito's comments appear to contradict previous reports that The Mandalorian is targeting a Christmas 2022 release for Season 3. An end-of-year release would be roughly in line with the premiere dates for previous live-action Star Wars series, including The Mandalorian's first two seasons. Season 1 ran from Nov. 12, 2019 to Dec. 27, 2019, while Season 2 ran from Oct. 30, 2020 to Dec. 18, 2020. The show's spinoff series, The Book of Boba Fett, likewise kicked off in December 2021.

That said, a recent social media post by The Mandalorian star (and occasional director) Carl Weathers lends some credence to the release window proposed by Esposito. Weathers tweeted that shooting on the Disney+ show's third season wrapped in March. With filming complete, The Mandalorian could conceivably be ready for Summer 2022, depending on how long post-production takes -- something Esposito's comments appear to allude to.

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While Esposito and Weathers have both publicly confirmed their involvement in The Mandalorian Season 3, the return of other cast members has been revealed through less official channels. This includes a leaked set photo that spoiled the return of Simon Kassianides as Axe Woves, a character who was notably absent during The Mandalorian's Season 2 finale. Ironically, Woves' presence on set appears to support wider rumors regarding the finale of Season 3.

The Star Wars series will also introduce at least one major guest star during its third go-round, too. Back to the Future star Christopher Lloyd joined The Mandalorian in March 2022, in an undisclosed role. Fans are already trying to tease out who Lloyd could be playing, with one theory pointing to Legends character Jorus C'baoth (or his clone). This remains pure speculation, however, and neither Disney nor Lucasfilm have given any indication that Lloyd will portray C'baoth (who is not currently part of official Star Wars canon) in The Mandalorian Season 3.

The Mandalorian Seasons 1 and 2 are currently streaming on Disney+. Season 3 does not yet have an official release date.

Source: YouTube