Star Wars: Taika Waititi Reveals If He Directed Any The Mandalorian Season 2 Episodes

The Mandalorian became an absolute phenomenon when it debuted on Disney+ late last year, bringing to life an entirely new corner of the Star Wars universe. The live-action series gave fans quite a lot to love (including, of course, Baby Yoda), especially with its roster of talent in front of and behind the camera. One person who pulled double-duty on the show's first season was Thor: Ragnarok and Jojo Rabbit director Taika Waititi, who helmed an episode of The Mandalorian and also voiced IG-11. While the series' sophomore season is set to debut later this year, it sounds like Waititi won't be playing the exact same role in it. As he revealed during a recent Instagram Live watch party of Thor: Ragnarok, he was unable to direct any episodes of The Mandalorian Season 2, as it conflicted with his schedule directing the soccer film Next Goal Wins.

This will surely be a bummer to some Mandalorian fans, especially those who were particularly fond of Waititi's directing on the Season 1 finale. But there will still be some significant directors reportedly working on Season 2, including Dave Filoni, Jon Favreau, Rick Famuyiwa, and series star Carl Weathers.

"It's one of those experiences that you just know isn't going to happen, so you don't even bother dreaming about it. So when you turn up, you're like, oh, this is a dream I didn't even know I had. And it's come true," Waititi said of directing Star Wars in a 2019 interview. "It was just very surreal and strange. We shot the whole thing in a very similar style to the original films. And so that stuff keeps it grounded in the universe. And then you know, we had like a lot of practical effects and a lot of creature design. And all of that — just to be on set around that stuff — there's nothing like it."

The Mandalorian stars Pedro Pascal as The Mandalorian, with Gina Carano as Cara Dune, Giancarlo Esposito as Moff Gideon, Carl Weathers as Greef Carga, Werner Herzog as The Client, and Emily Swallow as The Armorer. And, of course, you can safely expect "Baby Yoda" to return in Season 2 as well.

Are you said that Waititi won't be returning to direct any of The Mandalorian Season 2? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Season 2 of The Mandalorian premieres exclusively on Disney+ this October.