Pedro Pascal Not Appearing In The Mandalorian Season 4?
Though Pedro Pascal’s character has linked up with some of his fellow Mandos in recent seasons, his breakout hit show is called The Mandalorian for a reason: despite having so many other Mandos around, what audiences are really invested in is the galactic adventures of Din Djarin and his young charge Grogu (or “Baby Yoda,” as we still call him). Being surrounded by other warriors helps remind Djarin of the Mandalorian Code, including strict rules about never taking off his helmet. That rule might come in handy in season 4, as Collider reports Pascal’s busy film and television schedule may keep his character from ever taking off the helmet.
Pascal Mainly Provided Voice-Overs For Season 3
Pedro Pascal has had an increasingly packed schedule over the years as he has become more popular in Hollywood. Accordingly, his appearances in The Mandalorian have been increasingly voice-only. For example, the busy shooting schedule for his excellent The Last of Us meant that the actor mostly provided his voice for season 3, with Pascal’s stunt doubles Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder handling almost everything we see Djarin doing onscreen.
Pascal’s Packed Schedule
Now, it seems like Pedro Pascal may be limited to voicework only for season 4 of The Mandalorian because his schedule may be more packed than ever: in addition to shooting a second season of The Last of Us, the actor has a slew of upcoming movies, including Ridley Scott’s highly-anticipated Gladiator 2. However, the biggest potential drain on Pascal’s schedule might also be the biggest opportunity of his career.
The Actor May Be Joining Marvel
Last week, news broke that Pedro Pascal was in negotiations to play Reed Richards in the MCU Fantastic Four film, and Disney will likely want the red-hot actor to sign a contract for many films and potential TV appearances that could keep him busy for the next decade. For both actors and fans, MCU contracts can be something of a double-edged sword (or in the Mandalorian’s case, a double-edged Darksaber).
Can Marvel Boost His Career Futher?
As an example, his time in the MCU revitalized Robert Downey Jr.’s career and made him one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors, but it also ensured audiences around the world would have trouble ever seeing him and not thinking about his superhero alter ego.
However, that is one typecasting bullet Pedro Pascal may be able to dodge because he is so intimately linked to franchises like Game of Thrones, The Mandalorian, and The Last of Us. Should Pascal end up pulling on the spandex and fighting the likes of Galactus, his Mr. Fantastic may become just another genre role he is famous for.
Will We Ever See Din’s Face Again?
While we’re happy about Pedro Pascal’s success, we have mixed feelings about potentially never seeing his face in The Mandalorian in season 4. Having masked or helmeted characters reveal their faces helps humanize them, both to audiences and other characters: for example, every Spider-Man movie has to have the superhero take off his mask a few times to remind us there is a real guy under there and we’re not just watching one CGI dude smacking the hell out of another CGI dude.
Only time will tell if Pascal transitioning to voice-only work on The Mandalorian will lead to fans saying “this is the way” as they unsubscribe from Disney+.
