The Mandalorian: Yep, Mark Hamill Actually Filmed Finale Scenes — Plus, Which Jedi Was Used to Thwart Leaks?
An on-set performance by Star Wars vet Mark Hamill — helped along by all kinds of digital trickery — brought Luke Skywalker into The Mandalorian‘s orbit, for the Disney+ series’ crowd-pleasing Season 2 finale.
As extensively detailed by a special installment of Disney Gallery: Star Wars: The Mandalorian (released Wednesday morning; watch it here), a 60something Hamill actually donned Luke’s cloak, picked up a prop lightsaber and made his way toward “Baby Yoda” (aka Grogu). After performing those scenes of a 30something, post-Return of the Jedi Luke, Hamill then sat in a contraption dubbed “The Egg,” which captured HD video of just his face reciting the dialogue, from assorted angles and with varying lighting.
That film and data was then used to create and map Hamill’s performance, but with younger Luke’s face, onto picture double/stuntman Matt Rugetti — who due to secrecy reasons could not be hired via a traditional casting call.
To feature a younger Luke in the Season 2 finale, Mandalorian EP Jon Favreau explains in the special, “We really looked at all the techniques available” — including a completely computer-generated version (a la Grand Moff Tarkin in Rogue One) and a “de-aging” process he described as akin to “an airbrush artist painting out wrinkles.”
Instead, a version of “deep fake” technology was employed, using archival footage of Hamill from the Star Wars movies and assorted BTS interviews to create a vast library of expressions and lighting scenarios. The rendered, 30something Luke was then applied atop Rugetti’s face, all the while informed by Hamill’s actual performance (which, by the way, was not opposite any of the other non-Grogu cast members).
As noted above and throughout the special, top secrecy was needed to keep the Luke reveal a surprise, so in scripts and in conversations on-set — even among those who knew the real deal — the name of Plo Koon, a canonical Jedi, was used. (Digital renderings were even created to propagate the ruse; see photo.) That way, on the off chance the script leaked, fans would nod in acceptance that Mandalorian EP Dave Filoni had chosen to introduce one of his favorite Clone Wars characters into the live-action Disney+ series.
But again, watch the new episode of Disney Gallery: Star Wars: The Mandalorian for many, many more fascinating details.
Almost got it…his name is Plo Koon
Plo klose!
Can I reward you back 100 of my TVLine points? Because that was good. It just dead center in my dad joke meter.
Fans would know that Plo Koon died in Episode 3, doubt they would have believed it was him. Probably would have thrown up some flags to fandom.
I mean, Darth Maul and Boba Fett also “died” on screen, but look how that worked out. I think fans would have bought it at least enough to temporarily sell the ruse.
Right, they had already set that up by reintroducing “dead” Boba Fett a few weeks earlier. (And apparently the prior season with a “dead” Fennec Shand). They even did a great job of getting people’s head’s to swivel by having the news leak about the Book of Boba Fett right before the episode aired so the “big” post credit announcement everyone was looking for, but the Luke stuff was a surprise.
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I’m surprised in this day and age they keep any of it generally silent. Most leaks on some corner of the internet, but surprised they can keep any of the widespread stuff quiet even. It reminded me of Winter Soldier where “it’s Bucky” was an in your face everyone knew “surprise” but no one was ready for “Hail Hydra” and Zola. They even had a bit of a lead in fake out by having a show about SHIELD start airing right before it. They certainly learned from their Iron Man 3 surprise. And managed to keep Baby Yoda toys off the Christmas market just to save the storytelling. Very un-Disney like.
I loved that reveal so much. But honestly, though it wouldn’t have been as emotional, I also would have loved Plo. He was fleshed out so much in the Clone Wars.
Still bad CGI on Luke.