Production is well underway for The Mandalorian season 3, which will pick up the story of Din Djarin and Grogu after their adventure on Tatooine in The Book of Boba Fett. Now that Grogu has decided that he’d rather be a Mandalorian than a Jedi (and who can blame him), the duo can move on to their next quest, which likely involves an ancient mine on Mandalore.
If you recall, Din was excommunicated from his clan in Boba Fett after revealing to the Armorer that he had taken off his helmet and shown his face to Grogu, a big no-no for this particularly extremist warrior tribe. But Din’s exile doesn’t have to be permanent. He just needs to go find a mine on Mandalore and “redeem himself” in the “living waters” inside. Sounds a bit like Mandalorian baptism.
Din’s mandatory voyage to Mandalore is certainly convenient since he also has other business he needs to attend to there, such as helping Bo-Katan Kryze free the planet from the Empire once and for all. Our hero is also the rightful wielder of the Darksaber, which technically makes him the ruler of his people. This show is living up to its name, isn’t it?
As you can imagine, all this Mandalore baggage means Din will be running into more than his fair share of Mandalorians in season 3. Katee Sackhoff, for example, has already said that Bo-Katan’s quest for the Darksaber isn’t over, and we know that there’s at least one new Mandalorian character to be introduced this season.
Now, a new set photo leaked by Star Wars insider blog Bespin Bulletin reveals that another Mandalorian is returning to the fold: fellow Nite Owl Axe Woves, played by Simon Kassianides. First introduced in “The Heiress,” Axe was one of the Mandalorians who worked alongside Bo-Katan, Koska Reeves (Mercedes Varnado), and Din to steal the Imperial cruiser on the moon of Trask. Interestingly enough, he didn’t appear in the season 3 finale, which only saw two of the three Nite Owls join Din on his mission to rescue Grogu from Moff Gideon. Perhaps we’ll find out why this year.
Below, you can see Kassianides back in his blue armor on the set of The Mandalorian season 3:
Sackhoff previously teased on The Sith Council podcast that there might be a plan for Axe that could unfold in future episodes, saying, “He just wasn’t there and there’s a reason. It’s just one of those things where I don’t know if the story is something I’m supposed to tell. So he’s just not there.”
Assuming Din honors his promise to Bo-Katan to help her take back Mandalore for their people, we’ll likely see that storyline play out in season 3. Since Axe is a member of Bo-Katan’s Nite Owls, that probably puts him on the frontlines of this new Mandalorian campaign. But just what role he’ll play in that offensive remains to be seen.
The Mandalorian season 3 is currently slated to premiere sometime in late 2022. That’s a very long wait. Fortunately, fans won’t have to wait that long for the next Star Wars live-action series. Obi-Wan Kenobi is set for a May 25 premiere, with Andor also scheduled for later this year. Check out the full schedule of upcoming Star Wars movies and TV series here.