The cliffhanger that Disney+'s The Mandalorian signed its first season off with left fans wanting more and eager for answers. Wielding the Darksaber, Esposito's villainous Moff Gideon's grand appearance came as a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. For those who haven't seen the series yet, there will be spoilers.
In an interview with Collider, Esposito warmed up to sharing more details about his work on The Mandalorian, and how his role will become more involved as the original Star Wars series's second season sits on the horizon.
"I don't want you to have any spoilers, but I did all my stuntwork on my own, without a lot of rehearsal, even though it's a fairly big budget, a technological piece with the volume and all the things that are going on," Esposito shared during his interview with Collider. "Sometimes that leaves less time to pay more attention to, and the stuntwork, by the way, has been with an Emmy nomination as well, to do that."
The final shot of The Mandalorian's finale depicted Gideon clambering his way
from a crashed TIE Fighter, pulling himself from the damage with Darksaber in hand. Esposito, while discussing the details of lightsaber training, mentioned that he has a few of his own. "They sometimes put the saber in and I have to have a handle only. But in working with that handle, I have to remember that there's four and a half, five feet more of that saber," the actor said, "So it's the way you handle it, so I had to practice. And sometimes I have a full saber that lights up."
The Darksaber is one of the most vital artifacts in Mandalorian lore and culture, and whoever claims it as their own is deemed to rule Mandalore. The saber can only be taken from its past owner after their defeat in combat, as it is seen as a symbol of power, and follows traditional rituals.
"I hope I'm not giving too much away in regards to the technology of [sabers]," Esposito added on the topic. "It was a bit complicated, and I have to laugh because I don't hold back. And so, some of our stuntwork in this season... I remember the props guy coming to me and saying, 'Okay, this is our last lightsaber,' because you gotta pull your hits... but you want it to look real."
Aside from being held responsible for his own stunts, with props or own his own, Esposito previously hinted at Gideon potentially being a Force-sensitive antagonist in an interview with Entertainment Tonight.
"To be in the position of having that regal, graceful power but have this saber which delineates a different part of me than any other character," Esposito said, looking back at the Darksaber twist at the end of the first season. "To have this saber means I can use it, and I can do my own dirty work, that I'm a fighter, that I'm a warrior. That's part of me."
The second season of The Mandalorian is right around the corner, returning to Disney+ in October, bringing along more intergalactic thrills. Besides Esposito's generous insider information, Lucasfilm and Disney have been keen on keeping their lips sealed.
"[There is also] the possibility that he is [a Force user]. He possibly has [the Force], and that to me is interesting because is he really that fallen hero? Is he a descendant of Darth Vader. Who is he? What does he want? He knows all about everything, and you'll have to wait to find out. Yeah, he's actually pretty good with that Darksaber too," the actor teased.
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