BABY Yoda is one of the most well-known characters in the Star Wars universe, yet he almost didn’t make it onscreen.
The Mandalorian crew apparently struggled to understand Baby Yoda. The show’s executive producer Dave Filoni confessed to Vanity Fair that little Grogu was a bit of a stumbling block during production.
“Honestly, it’s something I never would’ve done because Yoda is Yoda,” he said. “I think people now look back and think it was like a slam dunk. But we were very cautious. The amount of measuring, especially in the first season, for how we were framing this kid took a lot of effort.”
Even beyond the controversy about Grogu's participation in The Mandalorian, there were a plethora of possibilities regarding the toddler's appearance. According to director Jon Favreau, they tried a number of various styles before settling on one – a full-colour concept artwork by artist Chris Alzmann, which is currently imprinted on numerous items of Mando goods.
“He had kind of a goofy, ugly look,“ Favreau said. “We didn’t want him too cute.”
Another point of contention was whether Grogu should be a character was lore, which all stemmed from George Lucas' legacy. Favreau and Filoni didn't want to ruin the mystique around Yoda, a creature whose origins are still unknown. If you divulge too much about Grogu, you risk exposing even more about the enigmatic Jedi master.
“It gave us some pause,” revealed Lucasfilm producer Kathleen Kennedy. “[Jon Favreau] and Dave debated that quite ferociously.”
Introducing a new species was undoubtedly hazardous, especially for the first live-action Star Wars series, but the choice to go forward with Grogu appears to have paid off spectacularly. Grogu will return with The Mandalorian's main character – portrayed by Pedro Pascal – in Season 3 of series, which will air on Disney+ at the end of 2022 or early 2023, as foreshadowed in The Book of Boba Fett.
