The Mandalorian is squaring up to hit a home run this Fall. The first season was a massive success for Disney+, was loved by critics and fans, got nominated for 15 Emmy Awards and launched a bona fide pop culture phenomenon in the adorable form of Baby Yoda. Now, the second season is just over a month away and the hype machine is in full swing after the amazing first trailer.
We’re promised such delights as Temuera Morrison as Boba Fett, Rosario Dawson as fan-favorite former Jedi Ahsoka Tano, and a smattering of other cool guest stars. Simply seeing the existing cast’s further adventures is reason enough to tune in, though, especially now that they’re being pursued by Giancarlo Esposito’s Moff Gideon. He’ll be wielding the legendary Darksaber, which hardcore fans will know has a deep symbolic meaning to Mandalorian warriors. Above all that, the second season will be the only major live-action Star Wars release of 2020, so all eyes will be on it to deliver the goods.
All of the above means that it’s unsurprising that it’s topped Rotten Tomatoes’ poll of the 30 most-anticipated returning shows for fall 2020. But let’s be clear, The Mandalorian didn’t just come out on top, it obliterated the competition.
As Rotten Tomatoes explains:
“Around 47 percent of users are looking forward to the live-action Star Wars series’ second season, with 30 percent of women and 52 percent of men all voting for the Disney+ hit. The title is by far the most universally beloved series across all demographics with 50 percent of respondents in the 18-34 age bracket; 47 percent in the 35-54 bracket; and 21 percent in the 55 and over bracket.”
This is all great news for Disney+. Since the first season ended, there’s been something of a drought of content on the service, not helped by multiple delays caused by COVID-19 shutting down film/TV shoots. This has led to reports of users cancelling their subscriptions earlier this year, though this poll could indicate that many of those dormant accounts will be reactivated soon. Let’s just hope The Mandalorian season 2 lives to up the stratospheric expectations.