When The Mandalorian last strolled into town on Disney+, the Star Wars series brought with it an episode directed by the legendary Carl Weathers – the actor who portrays Mando’s recurring comrade Greef Karga. With ‘Chapter 12: The Siege’, Weathers delivered an action-packed instalment that culminated in a thrilling vehicular chase sequence – and also gave us the all-important ‘Grogu and his little blue space-macaron’ saga. It was a confident directorial outing – and, as he confirmed at Star Wars Celebration, he’s officially returned to helm an episode of the upcoming Season 3. Speaking to Empire, he teases an ever deeper dive into high-octane territory for his new ep.
“Oh there was a bit more [action], I think, in this one,” he says of his Season 3 outing, adding that it’s “a little different [to ‘The Siege’], because a lot of it had a lot more scope. But this one also had many, many different kinds of stories within the story, and that's really nice.” For Weathers, stepping behind the camera on Mando is a chance to dabble in multiple genres at once. “I love directing. It's my passion. This show gives you so much opportunity to deal with all these different characters,” he says. “Even though they're different episodes, it's not like typical episodic television – it's not a whodunnit, it's not a dark comedy, it's not a procedural. It's so many different things, and it's action-adventure on top of that. As a director, you get a chance to exercise your talent, and also your ability to deliver in those different areas.”
The new season will also see Weathers return in front of the camera as Greef Karga – this time sporting a fetching new red robe, glimpsed in the exclusive Season 3 footage debuted at Celebration. “Amazing, isn't it?” Weathers beams of his new get-up. “We have such a wonderful wardrobe designer who puts all of that together. The wardrobe is majestic to say the least. Greef wears it well!” Not only is the cloak “damn heavy”, but it signifies growth for the character from where we met him back in Season 1. “It really speaks to how he has matriculated, how he has grown in stature and ambition,” he explains. “And obviously on screen it looks fantastic. It adds so much.” Going by the Weathers forecast, we’re in for another stellar season.
Read Empire’s full Star Wars Celebration report in the Avatar: The Way Of Water issue, on sale now and available to order online here. The Mandalorian Season 3 is due to begin streaming on Disney+ from February 2023.