The connection between The Duke and The Mandalorian might surprise you

There is no question that The Mandalorian is one of the most iconic of the Star Wars TV shows. Its influence and popularity continue to grow with the upcoming movie The Mandalorian & Grogu. Even if you had never heard of Din Djarin, you might have seen "Baby Yoda" on t-shirts or heard people solemnly responding to everything with "This is the Way." It is a space Western, with high stakes beyond the reach of ordinary laws, bandits and bounties, and people pushing against the frontier of known civilization.

It is a delight to know, therefore, that this space Western has a connection to one of the most respected cowboy actors of Hollywood's history: John Wayne. Born Marion Morrison in 1907, the actor made 175 movies ranging from World War II epics to romantic comedies, but he was known for movies such as The Alamo, Red River, and True Grit. He had seven children, and Mary Antonia "Toni" Wayne LaCava gave him a grandson named Brendan in 1972.

Here, The Mandalorian's resemblance to classic films meets its connection. Sean Morrison at ScreenRant detailed how Brendan Wayne is one of three actors who wear the Beskar armor on behalf of Pedro Pascal. There are episodes of the show where Pedro appears very memorably without a helmet, but when scheduling needs him elsewhere, Brendan and his colleagues bring the character to life physically.

"There are so many subtle movements and pieces of body language that go into the physical portrayal of Din, and Brendan Wayne was responsible for most of them. Almost all of Din Djarin's unspoken swagger, his screen presence, and his physical intimidation, comes from Brendan Wayne. It's hard to imagine what kind of character Din would even be without Wayne's work as a stand-in actor. He almost certainly wouldn't be as intimidating and he never would have replaced Boba Fett as Star Wars' favorite bounty hunter."

- Sean Morrison of ScreenRant

Wayne and Pascal both spend a considerable amount of time in the portrayal of the masked man, but Lateef Crowder is known to have performed many of Din's stunts. Brendan's gravitas, which Morrison describes as "When John Wayne walked into a saloon, everyone inside knew better than to mess with him," contributes to the impact of the character is "a big reason Din Djarin became such a legendary cowboy."