Giancarlo Esposito did a spectacular job playing The Mandalorian villain, Moff Gideon. He was threatening, menacing, skilled, and a fearsome leader. But there is a reason why this Moff is intimidating in the series, and it all has to do with the actor himself.
During an interview with Star Wars Insider, Esposito recalled the time when he was talking about his character with series showrunner, Jon Favreau. The actor was asked if he had any requests for Moff Gideon and he did. All Esposito asked was that his character would have a cape, similar to the iconic Star Wars villain, Darth Vader.
“You know, I’ve loved working on The Mandalorian because it’s about wonder and anticipation. When Jon asked if I had any requests for the character, I said, ‘Yes. I want to have a cape like Darth Vader!’”
But the request for a cape isn’t the only reason for Moff Gideon’s evil vibes. Esposito has played numerous villains in the past, such as Faraday in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Lex Luthor in Harley Quinn, and Gus Fring in Breaking Bad, just to name a few. The actor states that he doesn’t go for evil characters when auditioning. He looks for someone who’s “inspiring” and he tends to be asked to play characters with some sort of “edge” to them.
“No. I look for a complete script. I look for characters who are inspiring, and who move our imaginations from one place to another. It just so happens that I’ve been asked to play characters in certain projects that have had somewhat of an edge, a darker side, if you will.”
Moff Gideon has not appeared yet in season three of The Mandalorian. The last time we saw Moff Gideon on screen was during the season two finale when he was defeated by The Mandalorian. It was revealed in the third season’s premiere that he was arrested, but there is any doubt that justice will be done to pay for his crimes, hinting that there is a chance for this Moff’s return.
If you want to see Moff Gideon in action, all episodes of The Mandalorian seasons one to two are available to stream on Disney Plus.
