A few weeks ago, a rumor began to circulate that Sin City director Robert Rodriguez and Logan director James Mangold would be directing scenes in the second season of The Mandalorian on Disney+. Soon after, Mangold made it clear that he was not part of the show on Twitter, by responding to Ron Howard, no less:
Hey Ron. I'm so pleased if it's true about Bryce directing another part of Mandalorian, but I can tell you its not true about me. Not doing it, never discussed it. And I suggest fans should look at who's "reporting" this & make a note that these sites present conjecture as fact.
— Mangold (@mang0ld) February 29, 2020
So that’s a shame, but while Mangold confirmed he wasn’t part of this, Rodriguez was silent, leaving many to wonder if he really was involved with season 2.
Now, according to reports from SlashFilm and HN Entertainment, it looks like the Alita: Battle Angel director did, in fact, helm at least one episode of the show. And this is a guy who has experience with big-budget, high-velocity action thrillers, so he could be a huge asset. And the western aesthetic of The Mandalorian fits really well with Rodriguez’s early work on stuff like El Mariachi and Desperado.
Also, he and Mandalorian showrunner Dave Filoni could be cowboy hat buddies:
CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 14: Dave Filoni during the Star Wars Celebration at McCormick Place Convention Center on April 14, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Barry Brecheisen/Getty Images)
With that in mind, what do we know about The Mandalorian season 2 that might attract a director of Rodriguez’s talent and skillset? For one, Giancarlo Esposito — who plays the Darksaber wielding Moff Gideon — teased “epic lightsaber action” for season 2. But who would he clash lightsabers with? The answer to that question could very well be Ahsoka Tano.
Just last week, it was reported that Rosario Dawson had been cast as Ahsoka in the show. And Dawson has worked with Rodriguez before on Sin City, so the pair already share a connection. Ahsoka dual-wields white-bladed lightsabers, so it would make perfect sense for Rodriguez to direct Dawson and Esposito as their characters clash in an “epic lightsaber” battle.
Of course, that scenario is all conjecture so take it with a grain of salt. The Mandalorian returns to Disney+ for its second season in October.
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