Taika Waititi on the set of Thor: Ragnarok. Photo : Disney

Even though Taika Waititi is one of the directors working on The Mandalorian, don’t expect the series to take a different tone than what Star Wars fans are used to.


Speaking at the Television Critics Association Monday, Waititi was asked if he was going to be able to put his own stamp on The Mandalorian—similar to how he made a Marvel movie his own with the irreverent, colorful, and hilarious Thor Ragnarok.

“A little bit, but Star Wars is very different to the Marvel style,” he said, according to Deadline. “The tone of the first films really should be adhered to, it’s what the fans like. You can’t disrespect it. Definitely my tone is in there.”


That’s about to be expected, honestly. One of the many reasons Phil Lord and Chris Miller were fired from directing Solo was because they were reportedly trying to make a movie that didn’t quite feel like a “Star Wars movie”—and that’s also why a seasoned veteran like Ron Howard was brought in to replace them. Lucasfilm and Disney executives seem very protective of the brand and are not ready to take wild, tonal risks just yet.

Waititi is one of five directors announced for the rumored eight-episode series, which is being written and executive produced by Jon Favreau. “It was amazing,” Waititi said of the experience. “Favreau is a genius…it’s fun doing something in the Star Wars universe. It’s [strange] to see a stormtrooper, and then when you’re doing a scene with 50 or 60 of them, it’s amazing.”

Stormtroopers in The Mandalorian confirmed, we guess?

The show is expected to debut on Disney+ this fall, and a first look is likely to happen in April during Star Wars Celebration .


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