Kevin Smith Thinks Boba Fett Should Keep His Helmet On Like The Mandalorian

The Book of Boba Fett has taken Star Wars fans under the helmet of the famed bounty hunter – literally and figuratively. However, one person who doesn’t think Boba Fett should’ve been unmasked is none other than filmmaker Kevin Smith. Smith was doing another episode of his Fatman Beyond podcast show and got to talking about The Book of Boba Fett series currently streaming on Disney+. Book of Boba Fett’s latest episode was entirely dedicated to The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin), and there has been some divisive opinion about that decision. For Kevin Smith, the debate seems to boil down to one thing: helmets. 

As Smith points out in his commentary (see below), the mystique and mystery of a Mandalorian’s helmet is what made Boba Fett an icon. The filmmaker argues that this new Mando episode of Book of Boba Fett only highlights a point about these Star Wars characters in Mandalorian armor: they’re more effective when the helmet stays on: 

“One of the things I loved about Boba Fett through most of my life is that we never took his helmet off,” Smith explains. “And in Boba Fett now, Episode 4 or whatever  [Chapter 5, actually], we are accustomed to Boba Fett just going au natural Charlie Brown style and stuff. And it don’t matter; I understand storywise he’s not a Mandalorian and so forth and such – like I’m not dumb. I’m just saying this episode, seeing Din Djarin… seeing this guy never take his helmet off just makes every scene cooler. Where you’re just like ‘I don’t know what he’s f*cking thinking.’”

Smith may have a valid observational point. The Book of Boba Fett Chapter 5: “The Return of The Mandalorian” was meant as a thematic bridge between Boba Fett and Din Djarin, as matters of tribe, belonging, and new burdens of leadership have been placed on both of these former lone wolf bounty hunters. Mando essentially spent his episode doing what Boba Fett has done in the series: finding his way into a tribe, training, traveling, and getting a ship again. And yet, the difference in response from viewers is undeniable. 

On the other hand, Boba Fett actor Temuera Morrison is already a hit meme and .gif for his badass delivery of lines like “I am Boba Fett,” without the need of any helmet, so Kevin Smith may soon see his own childhood iconography of Boba Fett getting quickly paved over. 

The Book of Boba Fett is streaming on Disney+.