A Boba Fett cameo could do The Mandalorian more harm than good, as the Disney+ series heads into its second season. Before The Mandalorian premiered, discussion of the show revolved almost entirely around Boba Fett, the most famous bounty hunter in Star Wars canon. The entire concept for The Mandalorian was borne from Disney’s aborted attempt to produce a Boba Fett solo movie and the studio then had to repeatedly hammer home the message that Boba Fett was NOT The Mandalorian’s main character, despite even Pedro Pascal originally believing it was. Fast forward to the days before The Mandalorian’s first episode, and one of the most cited points of interest was still whether or not Boba would appear. In the end, Boba’s presence or otherwise was soon forgotten.
It was widely assumed that The Mandalorian would need to include cameos from familiar characters in order to boost popularity on Disney+’s opening day, but this was definitively proven to be untrue. The Mandalorian’s season 1 cast was comprised of all new faces and was a runaway success regardless, however, familiar figures are confirmed to be introduced in season 2. Naturally, Boba Fett is the character viewers are anticipating the most, and this is partly thanks to a tease from episode 5, where Fennec Shand is approached by a mystery figure with the sound of spurs on his boots - a plot point that remains unresolved.
As it was before season 1, speculation is again rife over Boba Fett’s potential appearance in The Mandalorian season 2, but would a cameo from the famous bounty hunter now be problematic? The considerable shadow of Boba Fett loomed large over The Mandalorian before its debut in November 2019, but now that the first season has been and gone, fans are giddy with excitement over Baby Yoda, Din Djarin’s background, Moff Gideon’s Darksaber, the original trilogy references, etc. Against all odds, The Mandalorian has escaped the shadow of the very character that inspired it and spun a tale that has the audience looking forward, not back.
After spending an entire season proving that it didn’t need Boba Fett to succeed, bringing in Boba could shake the foundations The Mandalorian has already built. The Mandalorian has a fascinating and fleshed-out character in Din Djarin, with plenty to explore about the protagonist. The mysteries of Baby Yoda remain at the forefront of the story, and Giancarlo Esposito’s Moff Gideon is set to return angrier than ever next season. There is more than enough to play with in The Mandalorian’s sandbox without adding any major characters from the movies.
A Boba Fett appearance in The Mandalorian season 2 isn’t just unnecessary, it could prove detrimental to the show. Despite Din Djarin’s strength as a lead, Boba remains a huge deal within the Star Wars fandom. There remains an appetite for more Boba Fett stories and many would still relish the chance to see an updated, live-action version of the bounty hunter, despite The Mandalorian going some way to scratching that itch. As such, a Boba Fett cameo in The Mandalorian runs the risk of overshadowing whatever else is going on in the episode, and might somewhat eclipse Din Djarin at the same time.
The Mandalorian has not only been a critical smash, but also hugely lucrative for Disney+, and all while crafting a story that requires no input from established characters. An appearance by Boba Fett in season 2 isn’t required to push the narrative forward, so the series arguably has more to lose than it does to gain, weighing the added buzz a Boba cameo would undoubtedly create against teasing something that might detract attention from the central characters and story. Following The Mandalorian’s first season, there really is no “safe” way to bring Boba into the story. If it’s a short cameo, fans will want more, if it’s a recurring role, he becomes the focus of the show; if he’s an antagonist, some fans will root for him, but if he’s a hero, Din Djarin will become less important.
Alternatively, it could be argued that, in a show where everyone “looks like Boba Fett,” the absence of man himself remains the elephant in the room, and the story of The Mandalorian, to some, wouldn’t feel complete without him. Perhaps a pleasing middle ground would be to hold off on Boba right until The Mandalorian’s very final episodes, allowing him to be introduced at some point, but without disrupting the story.
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