IG-88 Set to Appear in The Mandalorian Series

The Mandalorian executive producer Jon Favreau took to Instagram yesterday to reveal a special present to Star Wars fans, announcing that the robot bounty hunter IG-88 will appear in the upcoming series. The character first appeared in Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, and like Boba Fett has developed a cult following.

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After 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.

Pedro Pascal (Kingsman: The Golden Circle) will star as a lone Mandalorian gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy and will be joined by the previously announced Gina Carano (Deadpool), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad), Emily Swallow (Supernatural), Carl Weathers (Predator), Omid Abtahi (American Gods), Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man), and Nick Nolte (Affliction).

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Jon Favreau penned the series, and the directors for the show that have been officially announced include Dave Filoni (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels) who will be directing the first episode. Additional episodes will be directed by Deborah Chow (Jessica Jones), Rick Famuyiwa (Dope), Bryce Dallas Howard (Solemates), and Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok). The Mandalorian will be executive produced by Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Kathleen Kennedy, and Colin Wilson. Karen Gilchrist will serve as co-executive producer.

The 10-episode first season will reportedly have a combined budget of $100 million, making each episode worth $10 million. It has also been announced that Disney is currently developing multiple limited series featuring characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe for their upcoming streaming service.

The Mandalorian does not yet have a release date but the Disney direct-to-consumer platform will launch in late 2019.