Anthony Daniels is synonymous with Star Wars, and is the only actor to have appeared in all eleven live-action movies. His C-3PO has a key role in all three trilogies and made brief cameos in Rogue One and Solo, making him an almost ubiquitous presence in a galaxy far, far away for over 40 years.
Not only that, but the 74 year-old was also in the ill-fated Star Wars Holiday Special and lent his vocal talents to feature films The Clone Wars, The LEGO Movie and Ralph Breaks the Internet. Daniels has also appeared as Threepio in The Muppet Show, Sesame Street and Robot Chicken as well as countless animated projects including Rebels and Resistance.
However, the iconic droid more than likely won’t appear onscreen in The Mandalorian, marking one of the rare projects where Daniels’ services aren’t required. The Disney Plus show tells a story that largely operates independently of the movies, but that doesn’t mean that the character can’t turn up in the background as one of just many Easter Eggs hidden for eagle-eyed fans to spot.
In the season 2 premiere, for instance, the opening scene finds Mando and Baby Yoda heading to a fight in an attempt to gather some intel, and as they walk past a wall covered in graffiti, artwork of C-3PO can briefly be glimpsed, as you can see below.
Given that he’s popped up in almost every live-action and animated Star Wars movie and TV show so far, a full-blown appearance from C-3PO can never be definitely ruled out in the future, especially when The Mandalorian has always maintained a delicate balancing act between telling an engaging standalone story while offering plenty of fan service. But for now, this easter egg will have to do.