The Mandalorian Season 4 gets exciting update but fans are concerned

Production is picking up steam on The Mandalorian Season 4, however, fans are worried that the Star Wars show is already in trouble.

The Mandalorian debuted on Disney+ in 2019 and quickly established itself as one of the platform’s most popular shows. Two more seasons of the show followed in 2020 and 2023, as well as spinoffs The Book of Boba Fett (2021) and Ahsoka (2023).

Showrunner Jon Favreau confirmed that a fourth season of The Mandalorian is on the way in February 2023, adding that he’s already written the scripts for each of Season 4’s episodes. At the time, it seemed the Star Wars series would therefore be back on screens as early as 2024, however, the subsequent SAG-AFTRA strike delayed filming indefinitely.

But with the strike now over, The Mandalorian fanbase is wondering when shooting will commence – and there’s good news on that front, according to cast member Brendan Wayne.

Fans are concerned about The Mandalorian Season 4

Wayne, who is one of several body doubles for leading man Pedro Pascal, recently revealed that The Mandalorian’s pre-production phase is “getting ramped up” in an Instagram post. Asked what that meant for the show’s filming schedule, Wayne replied that he expected cameras to roll on Season 4 in 2024.

On the face of it, this news should be cause for celebration among the Star Wars faithful. Yet a recurring theme among reaction posts on X/Twitter was concern rather than joy, and that’s largely down to Pascal’s involvement – or rather, fears that he’ll hardly be involved at all.

The Chilean-American star’s portrayal of The Mandalorian’s protagonist Din Djarin is primarily vocal, except on the rare occasions that the former bounty hunter is seen without his helmet. Otherwise, Wayne and Lateef Crowder stand in for Pascal on set, with at least one Season 3 scene reportedly re-written to keep Din’s helmet on, to accommodate Pascal’s busy schedule.

This set-up is a source of consternation for fans who want to see more of Pascal in The Mandalorian, and they’re convinced his commitments to the likes of Gladiator 2, The Last of Us, and (allegedly) Fantastic Four will only make things worse in Season 4. Some even believe it’ll lead to Din Djarin being sidelined in his own show.

“Pedro Pascal [starring] directly from his house sending some WhatsApp audios,” wrote one X user. “You can clearly see that Pedro doesn’t really care and doesn’t mind being [a] side character, even if all he does is the voice,” added another. Additional posts echoed this sentiment, with one poster declaring that “Pedro Pascal is confirmed to guest star in Season 4 as we follow the main cast of Bo Katan and Ahsoka.”

What’s in store in The Mandalorian Season 4?

Aside from concerns over Pascal’s amount of actual screentime in The Mandalorian Season 4, several fans also expressed displeasure over the perceived decline in the show’s overall quality. Favreau and executive producer Dave Filoni will no doubt be hoping they can win these naysayers around again, especially given they have a movie in the works built around the so-called “Mandoverse.”

Little is known about this as-yet-untitled big screen blockbuster, other than that it will bring together various unresolved plot threads for The Mandalorian and its spinoffs. That said, The Book of Boba Fett star Temuera Morrison recently hinted at what fans can expect from the film, describing the project as “a bit like Avengers.”

For all the latest on The Mandalorian Season 4, be sure to check out Dexerto’s full coverage here.