Star Wars' Baby Yoda Debate Could've Killed The Mandalorian
The Mandalorian almost snatched defeat from the jaws of victory due to a Star Wars custody battle over Baby Yoda. As Star Wars' very first live-action TV series (not to mention Disney+'s original content debut), much rested upon The Mandalorian's armored shoulders. Despite that pressure, Din Djarin's solo series is a roaring success by virtually every conceivable metric. As well as rave reviews and positive fan reaction, The Mandalorian's prosperity triggered an influx of Disney+ Star Wars content, and its influence can even be felt in the MCU, with Thor: Love & Thunder utilizing the same innovative filming environment.
Pedro Pascal may star in the title role, but anyone familiar with The Mandalorian (and probably those who aren't) will know the real star is a small green puppet called The Child and «Baby Yoda» before Ahsoka Tano finally confirmed the youngster's name as Grogu. Din Djarin's egg-munching companion is a powerful Force-sensitive and belongs to the same mysterious, unnamed species as Yoda… but his presence in The Mandalorian almost didn't happen. Speaking to VanityFair, Lucasfilm's Kathleen Kennedy explained, "There was a lot of discussion around whether that was something we should or shouldn’t do… He [Jon Favreau] and Dave [Filoni] debated that quite ferociously."
Related: Luke Already Teased Yoda Returning For The Mandalorian Season 3
Kennedy reaffirms Filoni was only "cautious" about Grogu. He wasn't creeping into Lucasfilm's props department at night, axe in hand. Filoni's reluctance stems from George Lucas' desire to keep Yoda shrouded in unknown, and as the Star Wars traditionalist of The Mandalorian's creative duo, it's not hugely surprising to hear he didn't offer «Baby Yoda» his blessing right
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