The Mandalorian Star Believes Their Character Could Return Despite Apparent Death

The Mandalorian became a breakout success in part because it introduced fans to a compelling new Star Wars villain: Moff Gideon, played by Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul star Giancarlo Esposito. 

I know the inference was that always one day Moff Gideon would probably meet his demise, and that wasn't a problem for me at all," Esposito said, "It was just 'when' and 'how,' and how tangible it is for an audience to see what may happen to him." 

Of course, fan theory has been raging claiming that Moff Gideon is not really dead at all – especially not after we just got the revelation that he had made breakthrough strides in the Emperor's top-secret cloning initiative. There are a lot of people who think the Gideon in that Mandalorian Dark Trooper armor was just a sacrificial clone pawn, and that the real Gideon is still out there scheming.

Esposito won't kill fan conspiracy theories, coyly stating that "I love this particular franchise because it's never clearly defined what really happens... you don't see that brutal demise or death and there's. always a possibility that the rise from the ashes is possible." 

Is Moff Gideon Alive & Returning? 

Giancarlo Esposito's comments In this Disney Gallery special are a bit of a turnaround from what the actor's previous stance, which has been "I know nothing." 

"I know nothing about Season 4. [Creator Jon Favreau] hasn't tipped his hat to me," Esposito told The Wrap. "So many fans are like, 'You were a clone, right?' It could be. I trust Jon knows what he's doing. I would love to keep dying and coming back. That'd be my favorite thing of all. There are a lot of ways to go and I'm open to whatever they have in play."

Esposito definitely feels like there is meat left on the proverbial bone of the character, which is still worth exploring: 

"I liked this character of Moff Gideon for a lot of reasons. One is he controls the chaos like no other; two is that he's very smart and knows everything. That's a given. And he has abilities... now in this third season, we see him masterminding something that he really wants not knowing, as an audience, what the true vision is. And that's exciting. The antihero is really just a fallen hero. There's a complication about him that I try to live and breathe with when I'm on the set."

Star Wars: The Mandalorian Seasons 1-3 are now streaming on Disney+. As is the Disney Gallery | Star Wars: The Mandalorian docuseries.