Summary
Pedro Pascalskyrocketed into fame after his debut inStar Wars’The Mandalorian, but his most recent role in Ridley Scott’sGladiator IIhighlights howThe Mandalorianmissed a major opportunity with him. Pascal’s breakthrough arrived in 2014 with his role as Oberyn Martell in HBO’sGame of Thrones, but it wasDin Djarin inThe Mandalorianwho truly shot him into stardom. As the firstlive-actionStar WarsTV show, Pascal’s performance as the titular Mandalorian was integral to sealing the future of all other TV shows for the franchise, and he has more than proven himself.
As the actor’s fame has risen, however, his ability to be more involved withThe Mandalorianhas diminished. This has led him to be somewhat underutilized inThe Mandalorian, particularly in its most recent installment.The Mandalorianseason 3 was met with mixed reviews fromStar Warsaudiences, mainly due to its pivot in Din Djarin’s arc and its failure to show Pascal’s face at least once. Now, Pascal’s upcoming role inGladiator IIhas highlighted just how harmful these mistakes were toThe Mandalorian, particularly in terms of the story’s wasted potential.
All 3 Actors Who Play Din Djarin In The Mandalorian (& When They’re In The Suit)
Din Djarin is an iconic Star Wars character, and three actors have worked to bring him to life. Here are all three, and when they’re in the suit.
Pedro Pascal Plays A Roman General In Gladiator II
The Actor Already Shines In His Performance
Now that the firsttrailer forGladiator IIhas arrived, more is known about Pascal’s upcoming role as Marcus Acacius, general of the Roman Empire. In the trailer, the actor is seen leading his soldiers into battle, while also taking on his own fights expertly. Between this brutality, however, are moments of regality and softness, along with some dialogue that seems to hint this general may not be nearly as satisfied with war and expansion as Rome’s emperor is.This echoes the potential path Din Djarin hadgoing intoThe Mandalorianseason 3.
Gladiator II
Cast
Gladiator 2 is the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s award-winning film Gladiator from 2000. Scott returns to direct the sequel, with Paul Mescal staring as Lucius, alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta. Gladiator 2 had been stuck in development hell for years before a script written by David Scarpa finally moved forward.
Din Djarin Could Have Played This Role In Season 3
He Was Set Up To Be Mandalore’s Reluctant Leader In Season 2
This role of a warrior leading his people into battle is exactly what Din Djarin was set up for inThe Mandalorianseason 2, when he won theDarksaberfrom Moff Gideon.This seemed to be the way things were headed untilThe Mandalorianseason 3 pivotedand had the Darksaber change hands yet again.Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff)was given the chance to redeem herself and rule again, and all the while, Din Djarin stayed at her side to aid in the reclamation of Mandalore before taking off with Grogu as soon as it was all over.
While the circumstances of these two roles, a potential reluctant leader and a Roman general, have their differences, they still share many similarities as well. It does seem like Marcus Acacius is reluctant about feeding the emperor’s insatiable desire for war and expansion (“Rome has so many subjects. She must feed them."), much like how Din Djarin would have acted if he were to continue his own leadership arc.The trailer alone proves how well Pascal is able to manage this balance, and it highlights just how big of a mistakeThe Mandalorianseason 3 really made.
Will Pedro Pascal Be In The Mandalorian & Grogu Movie? Here’s Everything We Know About His Star Wars Role
Star Wars has announced their new The Mandalorian & Grogu movie, starring Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin. Here’s everything we know about Pascal’s role.
The Mandalorian Missed A Huge Pedro Pascal Opportunity
Gladiator II Is Letting Pascal Shine The Way The Mandalorian Could Have
Pascal’sGladiator IIroleis only part of the potentialThe Mandalorianhad in store for Din Djarin, and this trailer alone has already proven just how major this missed opportunity was. Pascal is right at the heart of all the action like a true Mandalorian, andthe way he’s able to use his physical performance to enhance the story is somethingThe Mandaloriansorely lacks in season 3. Even worse is the factThe Mandalorianseason 2 set itself up for this potential so well, but season 3 (andThe Book of Boba Fett) failed to follow through.
Marcus Acacius will now serve as a reminder of what The Mandalorian viewers could have gotten.
The Mandaloriancould have even had more of Pascal’s face if they had continued Din Djarin’s season 2 story. It seemed like he would begin to permanently question the helmet rule that kept his face concealed for the first two seasons, but instead,Star Warsbacktracked and had him seek forgiveness for his actions and spend an entire season inside the beskar. Given that Pascal’s expressions are easily the highlight of every one of his performances,Gladiator IIis already showing whatThe Mandalorianseason 3 missed by hiding his face again.
Din Djarin did not want to be a leader, nor should he have remained a leader, butThe Mandalorianseason 3 truly missed a chance to at least explore this storyline more with an actor as talented as Pascal at their disposal. Marcus Acacius will now serve as a reminder of whatThe Mandalorianviewers could have gotten, even down to the sword-fighting that could have been Din Djarin with the Darksaber if he was given a chance to master it. It’s a shameThe Mandaloriancannot fix this, but hopefully, its upcoming movie will give Pascal a new chance.
The Mandalorian
Released on June 05, 2025 The Mandalorian follows a lone gunfighter navigating the galaxy’s outer reaches after the Galactic Empire’s fall. As a skilled bounty hunter, he operates in a lawless universe, undertaking various missions on the fringes of the New Republic’s territories.
