More than two years after the last season of "The Mandalorian", the science fiction western series from the "Star Wars" universe continues. In the meantime, fans couldn't do without the kind-hearted bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal). Much of the spin-off series The Book of Boba Fett revolved around him and the grogu known as Baby Yoda. In doing so, she paved the way for the third season of "The Mandalorian", which is now (March 1) starting on the Disney streaming service.

After Grogu decided against Jedi training with Luke Skywalker in order to follow his foster father Din Djarin, the two are now back together in the galaxy. Little is known about the plot of the new episodes prior to launch. Din Djarin - known for his mantra "This is the way" - visits the planet Mandalore to atone for his transgressions. Because he lost his way, so to speak. In the Season 2 finale, he had his helmet removed in the presence of others to say goodbye to Grogu. As a result, he was rejected by his peers.

Reunion with many characters

Much of what can be seen in Season 3 flowed organically from previous seasons, according to showrunner and writer Jon Favreau. "There are numerous encounters between many characters with different motivations," says Favreau in an interview with the German Press Agency in London. "And we discover what happened to Mandalore. Now we can explore this planet too."

There is a reunion with characters like Greef Karga (Carl Weathers), Bo-Katan (Katee Sackhoff), the mechanic Peli Motto (Amy Sedaris) and the armorer (Emily Swallow). Also, the great Giancarlo Esposito, who one would love to see more of in the series, returns as villain Moff Gideon. After the experience of the first two seasons, you can expect more prominent and less prominent guest appearances.

The trailers teased some cinematic action scenes. In addition to spectacular spaceship hunts, they showed numerous Mandalorians, the planet Coruscant known from the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy and a scene with Jedi knights who have drawn their lightsabers. On the Internet, fans have already speculated about a flashback with a guest appearance by Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker. He had recently made a comeback in the mini-series "Obi-Wan Kenobi".

Comes close to the flair of the original films

With more and more new "Star Wars" series, Favreau's job is becoming more complex. The 56-year-old is also responsible for the series "Ahsoka", which is due to start later this year and is linked to "The Mandalorian". "We don't just have to pay attention to what's around us anymore," he says, referring to the original "Star Wars" films and the sequel trilogy that "The Mandalorian" is set in between. "We also have to think about the other shows that are set in the same timeline. As things evolve in each series, we want to make sure they're consistent across multiple storylines."

Unlike other "Star Wars" shows such as "Andor," which takes a dark and almost realistic approach, "The Mandalorian" stays comfortably close to the flair of the original films. "We really tried to keep the atmosphere that 'Star Wars' had when I first saw it as a kid," confirms Favreau. "Darth Vader was scary. But then there was R2-D2, funny moments, puppets and animatronics and rubber masks."

A pleasant difference to other contemporary TV series is that the episodes are self-contained despite the overriding framework story. "For us, it was a return to television," says Favreau. "So it was possible for each director to tell a complete story in the episode assigned to him." In addition to himself, Robert Rodriguez ("From Dusk Till Dawn") and Peyton Reed ("Ant-Man"), among others, have directed in the past.

"The Mandalorian" is a signature feature for Disney. And Din Djarin's journey looks set to continue for a long time to come. "We have a few ideas about what's going to happen in the distant future," reveals Favreau. "I just finished writing season four."

Even if one day the final episode of "The Mandalorian" airs, according to the busy showrunner, that shouldn't be the end of the story. Jon Favreau points to an advantage of his main characters with a wink: "Grogu is a doll and the Mandalorian wears a helmet. The two will never age."

"The Mandalorian" on Disney