After the blockbuster first season of 'The Mandalorian', the second season has a lot to live up to - and not just on the cuteness factor either.
The new season, launching today on Disney+, promises to expand the characters and the story laid out in the first season, and get us closer to understanding where the Child comes from, and where they fit into the universe.
Here's five reasons why we're excited about the second season of 'The Mandalorian'.
5. MORE MANDALORIAN MADNESS
One of the best moments of the last season was when the Mandalorian clan dropped in to save Din Djarin from the Imperials with that excellent gunfight. Evidently, the Mandalorians are still out there and the odds are that he's going to run into more of his own kind. In fact, the Armorer - that's the female Mandalorian who helped forge the shiny armour worn by the titular character - features prominently in all of the trailers. Our guess? She's going to play a much bigger role. Bo-Katan Kryze will also feature in the new season, played by none other than Katee Sackhoff, who voiced the character in 'The Clone Wars' animated series. Not only that...
4. BOBA FETT? BOBA FETT? WHERE?
It's fair to say that the rumour mill on the second season of 'The Mandalorian' has been on full power for quite some time now, and one of the rumours that keeps turning up, again and again, is that Boba Fett is set to make a return. Now, there has so far been zero confirmation of this. What is known is that Temuera Morrison - who played Jango Fett in the prequels, and subsequently voiced Boba Fett in the original trilogy after they were edited again to line up with the prequels - will have a role in this series. In fact...
3. THE EXPANDED CAST FOR SEASON 2
There's still no word yet if Rosario Dawson is going to be playing Ahsoka Tano or not. Likewise, we're not sure if Temeura Morrison is going to playing Boba Fett or Captain Rex from 'The Clone Wars' animated series. On top of that, actors like Michael Biehn and Katee Sackhoff, as previously mentioned, have been confirmed to star. You've also got WWE star Sasha Banks in there, who featured in the trailer, and you've got Timothy Olyphant in the mix as well. If that wasn't enough, Irish stunt performer Barry Hanley is in there as well playing one of the Gamorrean fighters in the opening episode. Even in a galaxy far, far away, you'll still bump into someone from here.
2. THE CHILD AND THE FORCE OF CUTENESS
Try and fight it all you want, but The Child's teeny, tiny features are so despicably cute that it's hard not to watch 'The Mandalorian' just to see what they'll do. More to the point, if you want context for what all those memes and .gifs are about, here's your chance. Our expectation is there'll be at least 500% more cuteness this time around because they know what they've got their hands on.
1. FINDING OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
One of the most fascinating aspects of 'The Mandalorian' is how it's bridging the gap between 'Return of the Jedi' and 'The Force Awakens', not by necessarily diving into long reams of exposition, but really showing the fallout of the events from a different perspective. What made the first season so interesting was how dirty, grimy, and gritty everything was compared to other entries in the 'Star Wars' universe. In fact, the closest comparison was 'Rogue One', in that you had characters who operated on the fringes of the galaxy, didn't necessarily have a black-and-white way of doing things, and really made for some compelling, memorable characters. Seeing as how 'The Mandalorian' is so heavily influenced by westerns, you're likely to see more characters, more shootouts, and more twists in the journey as things progress.
