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It’s easy to look at the new live-action Star Wars series The Mandalorian and assume the lead character is simply Boba Fett by another name.

Both the new Disney+ character and the Empire Strikes Back fan-favorite (who perished in Return of the Jedi) wear Mandalorian armor. Both are bounty hunters. And both are tough guys who are not exactly chatty.

But that’s where the similarities end.

As showrunner Jon Favreau, director Dave Filoni, and star Pedro Pascal explain, first of all, their Mandalorian is actually a real Mandalorian.

“Our guy is a Mandalorian, and we definitely explore the culture of the Mandalorian,” Favreau says.

Adds Filoni: “Boba Fett is a clone, according to Attack of the Clones, and by asking [creator George Lucas], he would say Boba Fett is not Mandalorian, not born on Mandalore. He’s more of a person indoctrinated into it, into the way of life, and gets a hold of the armor.”

Next is how the time and setting of The Mandalorian shakes things up. The Mandalorian is set during a period of chaos following the downfall of the Empire in Return of the Jedi and long before events in The Force Awakens.

“Our guy is operating in a much more unforgiving landscape,” Favreau says. “A place where survival is difficult enough, let alone flourishing in that atmosphere and the politics have dissolved. It’s ‘might is right.’ And how does somebody earn a living when there’s no structure to society anymore and everything is collapsing in on itself? How do you work your way through the world?”

A third aspect is that Boba Fett was more of a villain, while the Mandalorian — who has a real name, it’s just not been revealed yet — is more like a dark hero.

“Ultimately he wants to do the right thing,” Pascal says. “But his duties could very much be in conflict with his destiny and doing the right thing has many faces. It can be a very windy road.”

The Mandalorian is the first live-action Star Wars TV series follows a lone bounty hunter in the outer reaches of the galaxy as he sets out to collect a particularly difficult prize. The show also stars Gina Carano, Giancarlo Esposito, Carl Weathers, Taika Waititi, and Ming-Na Wen.

The Mandalorian lands on Disney+ on Nov. 12. Follow @jameshibberd for more Star Wars scoop.

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