There are a few ways to look at The Mandalorian's surprise reveal of "Baby Yoda" -- or whatever Disney boss Bob Iger wants to call him -- in the Disney+ show's premiere. And now we know the person who inspired the big surprise was Solo: A Star Wars Story actor Donald Glover. Yes, he really can do it all.
I, for one, am grateful at the surprise. Never saw that coming! When The Mandalorian's 50-year-old asset was revealed to be a mini gurgling Yoda, "The Child" instantly became an obsession. And then a meme. So I'm thrilled at the unexpected early Christmas gift. And yet, I am also bummed that I can't get a literal Baby Yoda Christmas gift. Not a good one, anyway.
No Baby Yoda stuffed animals or other cool stuff will arrive in time for Christmas this coming Wednesday, despite early hopes that Disney/Lucasfilm might have a secret plan or rush something through like Santa arriving with gifts just in time.
Jon Favreau is essentially Baby Yoda's father. He's The Mandalorian's creator and talked to THR about how the little guy -- and the show around him -- came about. In one section of the story, Favreau noted The Lion King star Donald Glover gave him the inspiration to keep Baby Yoda a secret for fans to discover when The Mandalorian Chapter 1 dropped on Disney+'s opening day of November 12.
We were talking about music and pop culture and [Donald Glover] was saying that what people really like now is to be surprised, because it doesn't happen that much. When Beyoncé did an album, she would just put it online and everybody would react to it. Just putting it out there spurred a conversation that would become more viral and bring more genuine attention than any marketing.
So Baby Yoda had his Beyoncé moment. And it was awesome. Here's more from Jon Favreau on his inspiration for the kid/child:
[Baby Yoda] is one of the things that I had been making notes about. I just was trying to figure out what happened after the original Star Wars trilogy, after the Empire falls. We knew Yoda, who was so old and was a master. What would it be like for a new character, another one of the species emerging and being in training, who was just beginning that journey?
It was a fantastic idea. Baby Yoda is one of the breakout stars of 2019, ruthlessly outshining Pedro Pascal as The Mandalorian himself, not that he minds. Some people think the Baby Yoda obsession is going too far, and it does seem like backlash is poised to hit at some point.
However, The Mandalorian Season 1 only has eight episodes, or chapters, and Episode 8 airs this coming Friday, December 27 on Disney+. Season 2 is already in the works, but it will likely be a while before we see it, and absence will probably make the heart grow even fonder for Baby Yoda.
Thankfully, those pre-ordered official toys from Hasbro -- including the talking plush I want -- are scheduled to ship in May 2020 and should make the wait for The Mandalorian Season 2 more tolerable.
