Giancarlo Esposito Asked Jon Favreau One Key Favor For His Mandalorian Character
The following article contains spoilers for "The Mandalorian" season 3.
"The Mandalorian" season 3 has yet to show us a glimpse of Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito), but the events he put in motion have had a major effect on Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal). Gideon's plan to kidnap a Force-sensitive child and have Doctor Pershing (Omid Abtahi) figure out how to make clones for the Imperial army ended up with Din and Grogu becoming a clan of two. How that will change the galaxy is still up in the air, but it certainly reminded Mando that he has a heart and pushed him to feats of heroics. It created allies where there were enemies, and even caused our hero to remove his helmet.
Moff Gideon is a former Imperial officer who is willing to kill his own troops if they get in his way. When we first meet him, he has the legendary Darksaber, which, when won in battle, can allow one to become the rightful ruler of Mandalore. He took it from Bo-Katan (Katee Sackhoff) before the series begins, and Din wins it from him during a fight at the end of season 2. Then he brings up the bantha in the room: even if Din gives it to her, she can't rule unless she fights him for it and wins. That's not helping them become best buddies.
Gideon is smart. He knows how to manipulate his enemies. As Giancarlo Esposito said in a recent interview with Star Wars Insider, he also got a special favor from series creator Jon Favreau.
' ... the world of Star Wars is one that I've admired since I was younger'
Esposito told the site he was really excited when he got the call from Favreau when he said he'd written Moff Gideon specifically for him. He said, "It was a great honor ... the world of Star Wars is one that I've admired since I was younger, and I've wanted to see films return to that mythological level of storytelling. That's something that I think the Star Wars franchise has done so very well." Esposito has been thrilled about "The Mandalorian," saying that it's "about wonder and anticipation." Of course, he did have an idea for Favreau when he was asked about requests for the character. He said, "I want to have a cape like Darth Vader."
There is something about a cape that just signals a big personality. Darth Vader, Lando Calrissian, Count Dooku, Bail Organa, Boba Fett — all of them wear capes. They flutter and flow, and as someone who has worked on costumes in the past (and worn a lot of capes in plays), I can say that the movement of it becomes part of a character. You can swish it in anger, make a dramatic entrance or exit with it, wrap it over you to disguise yourself ... it also makes fight scenes look spectacular, as you can see in the final episode of season 2. Considering the drama that Moff Gideon brings to the series, it's perfect.
'I always look for a story that exemplifies the journey of a hero'
Moff (and his cape) has been the clear villain of the tale so far, but Esposito sees him as more of an anti-hero. He said:
"What lies beneath the words and actions of the journey the character is on, a journey that we all take? Whether a hero realizes it or not, it encompasses courage or truth — that energy inside us that allows us to get to where we want to go. I'm committed to playing this guy who thinks he is the master of the universe and that he can run it better than anyone else. Who is willing to push everyone's buttons!
"However, I attest that often the villain, the anti-hero, is really a fallen hero. They have the same qualities as the hero, but are characters who missed the mark, who wanted to be seen but didn't feel heard, and overcoming that is, in its own way, a heroic journey."
It's a way that actors often look at the villainous roles they play. Everyone thinks they're the hero of their own story, even when their actions are terrible. Whether Moff Gideon will get a redemption of some sort remains to be seen, but in the meantime, I'm looking forward to his (and his cape's) return later in season 3.
"The Mandalorian" is currently streaming on Disney+.