While we still don’t know exactly what to expect from Star Wars’ live-action series, The Mandalorian, signs point to it having a Western influence.
We now know that the Star Wars series coming to Disney’s streaming service has been dubbed The Mandalorian, thanks to Jon Favreau.
Yesterday, he posted a brief synopsis of the series.
It doesn’t reveal much, but there are a few key phrases that make us think that this series could have a distinctly Western feeling to it.
Before we dive in, here’s a transcription of that image:
"The MandalorianAfter the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe. The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic….[sic]"
That all being said, let’s dive in.
The title itself
This isn’t a mysterious title by any means. The Mandalorian stands alone, evoking old series like The Lone Ranger. It’s not even like Solo, which at least was the character’s actual name; Rogue One referred to a group. In fact, it’s even different from The Last Jedi, which was a more mystical-sounding title by virtue of alluding to the Force.
“A lone gunfighter”
See what I mean about the allusions to The Lone Ranger? About the only way that this could have gotten even more Western would be to refer to a “gunslinger,” not a “gunfighter,” but that wouldn’t quite fit with the parlance of Star Wars as general. It works hand in hand with the title to establish that this is someone who, at least at the beginning of the series, will be apart from others. While that does also tap into the general mythos of Star Wars (Luke Skywalker not fitting in on Tatooine, anyone?), this sounds like an older, more experienced protagonist who may have chosen to be that way — again moving back into a different feel.
Notably, the synopsis does not give pronouns to the main character just yet.
“Far from the authority…”
Wild Space is a legitimate region in Star Wars canon, and I bring this up not because I think The Mandalorian is set in Wild Space, but because it — and other regions like the Outer Rim — have already established that there are different parts of the galaxy that aren’t quite as well-policed or -governed as the Core. Taken in conjunction with all of the other tidbits sprinkled in here, it’s clear that the protagonist is in a position to make their mark on either Mandalore or on the galaxy in general, earning the title given to them by the series.
The thing is, this doesn’t sound like a particularly bad take. Star Wars has experimented with the genre before, and it’s not like the Western didn’t have some influence on the very earliest films (especially in the costuming).
However, this description for The Mandalorian sounds like it’s fully embracing and expanding on those influences.