The COVID-19 pandemic has blown a Death Star-sized hole in Disney’s plans for original content on Disney+. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier was supposed to premiere this month, though current rumors are that the shoot may not finish until early 2021. Other shows, meanwhile, like WandaVision and Loki are similarly delayed and their chances of releasing this side of the new year are growing increasingly slim. But there’s one bright spot on the horizon: season 2 of The Mandalorian.
Disney CEO Bob Chapek was recently asked whether the COVID-19 delays had affected the critically acclaimed Star Wars spinoff. He confirmed that shooting had finished prior to the lockdowns kicking in and that season 2 is still on track for an October 2020 release. Apparently, the production has been working on the show’s extensive CGI effects during the break, which are able to be completed while staff work from home.
October is now less than two months away, so we should start looking out for a trailer for season 2 quite soon. Fan expectations are high after the barnstorming season 1 finale and if the show were merely carrying on in the same vein, we’d be happy. But the upcoming batch of episodes promise Michael Biehn as some kind of bounty hunter, Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano and the long-awaited return of Boba Fett. And, as introduced in the finale, we’re also going to see far more of Giancarlo Esposito’s villainous Moff Gideon and the Darksaber.
Let’s hope that can tide us over until our next adventures in a galaxy far, far away. After all, there are currently no officially announced Star Wars movies to look forward to (though we know they’re coming), and the status of the other Disney+ spinoffs like Obi-Wan remain a mystery. But honestly, The Mandalorian was so good that it even washed the disappointment of The Rise of Skywalker away, so I’m glad it’s back sooner rather than later.
