For fans of football, the Rocky movies, and the Star Wars franchise, it was a sad day last February when Carl Weathers passed away. Many fans mourned his passing, and it created a big question: how will the upcoming The Mandalorian and Grogu film address the actor's untimely passing?
Weathers portrayed bounty hunter turned magistrate Greef Karga, in each of the first three seasons of The Mandalorian. Outside of lead, Pedro Pascal, Weathers appeared in the most episodes during the show's run, a status he shares with Katee Sackhoff, who plays Bo-Katan Kryze.
His character was an important and vital part of the series. Karga played almost a mentor of sorts for Pascal's titular character and appeared in several key moments of the popular Disney+ show. In addition, Weathers directed two episodes in the second and third seasons.
With the film coming out next year, it would only be proper for them to address Weathers not appearing in the upcoming project. They will need to pay proper homage and dedication to him.
One option could be the use of CGI technology or deleted scene footage, the way that Lucasfilm did after Carrie Fisher's passing in The Rise of Skywalker. There were some fans who thought it was a fitting tribute to Fisher's legacy as Princess Leia in the film.
AI technology could be used; however, it may have been perfected to give the character and actor the proper send-off if it were to be used.
There may be a simpler way and an old technique used in the film. Having the character's death appear off-screen or the character's absence mentioned via a few lines may be the way to go. The only drawback to using a few lines is that they will need to explain succinctly and directly, and one that honors the legacy that Weathers left behind.
In akin to both Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Jurassic World had either art of a statue displaying characters that had passed away before the films were released. It would be fitting for Weathers to have a statue, as his character was the magistrate of Nevarro, the planet was featured in the series.
It's unclear whether Weathers was slated to appear in the film before his death. Adam Sandler, who recently filmed and released Happy Gilmore 2, stated that Weathers was supposed to be in the sequel, but he rewrote the script after his passing.
Now, Star Wars fans will have to grapple with his passing and wonder how they will address and pay tribute to Weathers next spring and summer.
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