The Mandalorian and Grogu does something no other Star Wars movie has done
The Mandalorian and Grogu starts a new era of Star Wars on the screen, one that might finally see the franchise move past the Skywalker Saga. While a spin-off of a TV series might not seem like the freshest start, the new movie does actually do something we’ve never seen in a Star Wars movie.
Now, we don’t want you getting too excited and think that it’s actually the first gore-soaked Star Wars movie, or the first with multiple swearwords with Grogu getting a potty mouth. It’s something smaller than that, but notable in its own right.
After its opening sequence that sees Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) track down an Imperial refugee, we get The Mandalorian and Grogu title on-screen with a dramatic pause before “and Grogu” shows up, giving the little guy the credit he deserves.
Related: The Mandalorian and Grogu is Star Wars at its most underwhelming
That’s not the new thing though. In the first time for a Star Wars movie, we get opening credits for the cast and crew as Din Djarin and Grogu land back at their New Republic base. It might seem like a small thing, but the order of them does highlight something important for the movie.
Pascal, of course, is the first name up, followed by Jeremy Allen White whose Rotta the Hutt turns out to be a significant supporting character. He definitely gets more to do than Sigourney Weaver who gets the coveted “and” final credit for the cast list.
Before that though, Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder are listed in the opening credits after Pascal. You might not know their names and you won’t see their faces in the movie, but they’re the stunt performers that bring Din Djarin fully to life.
Don’t believe us? Here’s what Pascal said about the duo in the official press notes for the movie:
“A great deal of the physical labor and authorship of this character has been in the hands of Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder as well. They give me all the tools I need in terms of selling an incredible performance and making me look like a badass. Much of what they do informs what I do.”
Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder at The Mandalorian and Grogu premiere
Related: Pedro Pascal drops Star Wars ‘spoiler’ ahead of The Mandalorian & Grogu
Filoni added: “A large part of the time it is Brendan that you’re seeing, swaggering, the movements of Mando like a gunslinger. No one can draw like Brendan. Lateef is such an exceptional physical talent.
“No one should ever diminish the roles that Lateef and Brendan have played in bringing the Mandalorian to life alongside Pedro. It’s the combination of them that makes the magic.”
So while The Mandalorian and Grogu having the first-ever opening credits for a Star Wars movie might seem like a minor thing, at least it’s been used to give prominence to names that otherwise would have gotten lost in the closing credits.
The Mandalorian and Grogu is released in cinemas on 22 May.
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Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
