The popularity of The Mandalorian with Star Wars fans is driven by the creative partnership of showrunner Jon Favreau and executive producer Dave Filoni.
Despite the sharply contrasting opinions fans have over the films in the sequel trilogy, The Mandalorian seems to be the one piece of Star Wars media that most fans can agree on. The Disney+ series is set to begin its second season on Oct. 30, and it’s been highly anticipated by fans ever since the end of the first season last year.
Baby Yoda probably has much to do with it, but the real force behind the series’ popularity is the creative partnership of showrunner Jon Favreau and executive producer and director Dave Filoni. The two recently sat down with Entertainment Weekly to give fans an early glimpse into the second season of The Mandalorian, and the subject of their partnership was one of the highlights.
Before The Mandalorian, Favreau was already well-known for his work on the Marvel Cinematic Universe and for directing the live-action adaptations of The Jungle Book and The Lion King. Filoni’s history with Star Wars goes much further back with him working closely alongside George Lucas on The Clone Wars animated series.
Though Favreau handles a large share of the writing responsibilities on The Mandalorian, it’s clear that he has a deep respect for Filoni’s input.
“I am to him as he was to George,” Favreau said in describing their relationship and how it compares to the way Lucas mentored Filoni while they worked on The Clone Wars. “I won’t do anything without Dave’s approval,” Favreau continued. “And to his credit, he understands that Stars Wars needs to be fun and ever-evolving.” To his credit, EW shared that Filoni himself describes his partnership with Favreau as “bringing balance to the Force.”
It seems clear that Favreau’s well-honed storytelling sensibilities combined with Filoni’s deep understanding of Star Wars mythology have made The Mandalorian a fresh and welcome addition to the Star Wars franchise.
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