Pedro Pascal is the star of The Mandalorian, but because his character Din Djarin spends most of his time wearing his signature helmet, Lucasfilm doesn’t always need Pascal to physically be there on set during production. Since The Mandalorian debuted seven years ago, Pascal has split time in the suit with his stunt doubles Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder, who were finally officially credited for their work in The Mandalorian Season 3. Ahead of the release of the new film The Mandalorian and Grogu, fans are wondering how much of the physical performance is Pascal. We know Djarin appears unmasked for portions, but Pascal’s doubles were also a key part of the production.
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As part of Empire‘s cover story about The Mandalorian and Grogu, director Jon Favreau addressed the “Pascal or doubles?” question. Unsurprisingly, Wayne and Crowder donned the armor at times, but it’s noted that “much of the film” features Pascal in the costume. “You’ll see [Pedro] in the armor, both with and without the helmet,” Favreau said. “He’s a pretty physical performer, so we pushed a little further than we have in the past, as far as what he’s doing, helmet-off.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Favreau and Pascal discussed the decision to remove Djarin’s helmet again. “It’s a tricky thing because you want to see his face, but the archetype is that of the helmet. How do we find a way to do it without undermining everything that we developed about the Mandalorian Creed?” Favreau said. Pascal praised Favreau’s smart pitch for why the helmet needed to come off. “When we got to that part, all I can say is that it made perfect sense, and it was what I was hoping would be the reason … If I were to pitch something, I would say, ‘The only thing that makes sense is…’ And that’s exactly it. He filled that blank.”
Why Does Din Djarin Remove His Helmet in The Mandalorian and Grogu?
Djarin’s face has been seen only a couple of times on the TV shows. The most notable instance is when he voluntarily removed his helmet to say goodbye to Grogu in the emotional Mandalorian Season 2 finale. Of course, that went against the Mandalorian Creed and Djarin was labeled as an apostate. In The Mandalorian Season 3, he travels to Mandalore and bathes in the Living Waters to redeem himself and become part of his covert again. Since that was such a significant part of Djarin’s arc, some could argue it would undermine Season 3 to have him take his helmet off again. That said, there are logical reasons for why this happens.
There is a shot in the latest Mandalorian and Grogu trailer in which Djarin’s helmet is forcibly removed by a captor (perhaps the bounty hunter Embo, but the individual is shown only from the waist down). While that’s a sufficient explanation for why the helmet comes off, it doesn’t really add up with Pascal’s evaluation of Favreau’s pitch. It’s unlikely the one thing Pascal would pitch himself would involve Din Djarin, a proud warrior, being bested in combat. Based on the wording of the actor’s comments, it’s more likely there’s a stronger, emotional reason tied to the helmet’s removal.
In The Mandalorian Season 3, the Armorer shows character growth when she permits Bo-Katan Kryze to remove her helmet while staying with the Children of the Watch covert, paving the way for Bo-Katan to unite all Mandalorians at the dawn of a new age. By the end of that season, the Armorer seemed open to the idea that one did not have to strictly follow the rigid path of The Way in order to be considered a true Mandalorian. Perhaps this development opens the door for Djarin to exist in some sort of middle ground between orthodox and unorthodox Mandalorians, being able to freely remove his helmet regardless of situation while still being part of a tribe. This would be a way to build upon what transpired on the show and be a personal explanation for the helmet detail, which Pascal could find fulfilling.
So little is known about The Mandalorian and Grogu‘s story at this juncture that for all fans know, Djarin is able to remove his helmet whenever he wants at the beginning of the movie. Obviously, he still wears it when he deems it necessary (particularly when in combat for protection), but he no longer adheres so strongly to the helmet rule, illustrating how far he has come since audiences first met him (when he was being openly mocked for being such a zealot for the old ways). The Mandalorian and Grogu could mark the next stage in evolution for Mandalorians as a whole as they enter their new age.
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