To star in a series like The Mandalorian, you’d have to have at least some knowledge of the Star Wars universe. And luckily, many of the stars who have leading roles in the series have an appreciation for the films, having grown up with the original trilogy when it first became a cultural phenomenon.
But with all the Star Wars movies that have come out since, do the originals still hold up? The consensus among cast members seems to be yes.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the stars of the Disney+ series revealed which Star Wars films are their favorites — and the results aren’t all that surprising. The cast seemed to agree with the majority of the fandom that the original trilogy is the best the franchise has released as of yet, even if the latest set of films has been greeted a bit more amicably than the prequel trilogy.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 23: (L-R) Executive producer/writer Dave Filoni, Gina Carano, Giancarlo Esposito, Executive producer/writer Jon Favreau, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, Carl Weathers, Pedro Pascal, and Taika Waititi of ‘The Mandalorian’ took part today in the Disney+ Showcase at Disney’s D23 EXPO 2019 in Anaheim, Calif. ‘The Mandalorian’ will stream exclusively on Disney+, which launches November 12. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
Pedro Pascal, the Mandalorian himself, cited The Empire Strikes Back as his favorite film from the saga. “I don’t have a choice because I was born in ’75,” he explained. “I remember Star Wars, but The Empire Strikes Back made me. That was where I understood what cool was in the form of Harrison Ford playing Han Solo. I saw sister break down in remove-her-from-the-theater kind of tears when they froze him. Just the kind of Shakespearian finale of the whole thing, or Greek tragedy of it. So that definitely shaped my imagination more than any of the other ones.”
Harrison Ford’s role as Han Solo is a definite highlight of the original Star Wars films, and Pascal is right that The Empire Strikes Back significantly raises the stakes for the film’s characters, Han especially. And director Taika Waititi agreed with Pascal’s sentiment, adding, “The stakes are so high and there’s love and there’s heartbreak and there’s loss. And at the end, the bad guy basically wins.“
Gina Carano, who plays ex-rebel shock trooper Cara Dune, said she’s more of a Return of the Jedi fan. Her reasoning is simple and difficult to argue with: Han and Leia’s relationship is the ultimate Star Wars romance. “I’m a sucker for love and romance,” she said. In her defense, it’s hard not to fall for a couple as compatible as Leia and Han — particularly after all Leia does to get him back from Jaba the Hutt.
Giancarlo Esposito, who plays the villain Moff Gideon, cited A New Hope as his favorite. It seems that the actor is enamored by the magic of beginnings. “I really like [A New Hope]. That’s the one that got me. That’s the one that stirred me up the most … [The Mandalorian] does have that feeling, of anything could happen.”
We certainly hope The Mandalorian lives up to these three films, and that Esposito is right and the show opens up some new horizons for the franchise.
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The series will be available to watch on Disney+ on November 12, so fans still have plenty of time to rewatch the cast’s favorite Star Wars films — and their own — during the wait.
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