One of the keys to the Star Wars franchise’s forty-plus years of success is its ability to create memorable characters that become fan favorites, sometimes after only a single appearance. Some characters, like the bounty hunters Bossk and Dengar, for example, may not even have a single line of dialogue and yet will go on to populate the pages of the various novels and comic books that flesh out the expanding Star Wars galaxy.
The new Star Wars streaming series are no exception to this rule and the series that created the mold for Disney Plus’s offerings, The Mandolorian, is a prime example of the phenomenon with characters from the first season gaining extended storylines in the second season and even crossing over into other Star Wars properties.
Some recent Reddit threads have shown that one of the characters most looked for to return in The Mandalorian‘s third season is Imperial sharpshooter Migs Mayfield played by Bill Burr.
Mayfield started out as a one-shot character for the series’ sixth chapter, The Prisoner, and quickly became a stand-out fave for fans of the show. Burr, who had often lambasted the Star Wars fandom in his stand-up act, joined the series as a wink and a nod gesture by series showrunner and writer – and friend of Burr – Jon Favreau. Mayfield’s cynical humor and, to put it mildly, distinctive, voice quickly earned him the love of the fans he once mocked. The Mayfield character went over so well that he was brought back for an extended arc in the second season that included a scene in an Imperial cafeteria that many consider one of the highest dramatic points of the entire series.
In a post to Reddit’s r/TheMandalorianTV forum that has a 95 percent upvote rating and 350 comments, most of which are in agreement, user robisadog echoed a now popular online sentiment. Namely that Mayfield should return for the series’ upcoming third season.
Mayfield’s fate was left open-ended by the end of the previous season, and the door is certainly open for the writers to bring the character back. The characters enduring popularity may stem from the range Burr has shown in his portrayal. Burr’s appearance in the first season was a comic romp combined with a nod to the fandom. His second season, however, was filled with pathos and addressed head-on issues such as PTSD rarely explored in the Star Wars Galaxy.
There is no word yet on whether Burr will be returning to the series fold for the third season at this time. At present, the only two cast members set to return are Giancarlo Esposito as Moff Gideon and Carl Weathers. However, Weathers has only confirmed that he will return to the series director chair for at least one episode and has not commented on whether his onscreen character Greef Karga is slated to return.
Fans may be disappointed in their hopes that Burr will be reprising his role as Mayfield in the newest season. However, given the nature of the franchise, the character is unlikely to remain unseen for long. Whether or not his return will be onscreen, big or large, or in print or comic book form, simply remains to be seen. But unlike the Empire, Disney is unlikely to waste talented personnel in vain.
The third season of The Mandolorian is currently filming and is expected to be released sometime this year.
