GREAT SCOTT! Chapter 22: Guns for Hire from The Mandalorian had a little bit of everything, including one of the greatest character actors ever. Christopher Lloyd has officially made his Star Wars debut.
It’s been about a year since The Hollywood Reporter first announced that Lloyd was cast in a secret role in The Mandalorian. This week was his debut, and Lloyd took on the interesting character of Commissioner Helgait. Without getting into spoilers, Helgait’s character not only touched back on stories from the Prequel Trilogy and connected the eras, but he also showcased the continued unsteady position of the New Republic. The government might not have jurisdiction on Helgait’s planet of Plazir-15, but their influence is a significant reason why the episode’s events unfold the way they do.
Christopher Lloyd is a legendary character actor whose career has spanned decades. He’s best known for playing the lovable, eccentric Emmett “Doc” Brown in the Back to the Future franchise and terrorized childhoods as the toon-like villain Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. His other works include Professor Plum in Clue, Rasputin in Anastasia, Uncle Fester in The Addams Family, and Reverend Jim Ignatowski in Taxi. This isn’t Lloyd’s first time working with Disney, as he was one of the voices in the Kingdom Hearts franchise, Angels in the Outfield, My Favorite Martian, and DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp. I must also highly suggest the wonderfully all-ages spooky series Over the Garden Wall, where Lloyd shines in the tragic portrayal of The Woodsman.
Along with Jack Black and Lizzo, Chapter 22: Guns for Hire was a fun romp for star-studded cameos in The Mandalorian. Seeing Christopher Lloyd alongside Din Djarin and Bo-Katan Kryze was a delight, and it’s the exact kind of fun, pulpy Star Wars that this series has become known for. It’s fantastic that we finally get Lloyd in a galaxy far, far away, and indeed an awesome moment for the series.