Breaking Down Who Actually Wears the Mandalorian Suit in the New Film

Pedro Pascal's face gets limited screen time in the new feature film The Mandalorian & Grogu, raising questions about whether the actor is actually inside the helmet-clad character's suit throughout the movie.

Pascal returns to his signature role as Din Djarin, the character he originated across three seasons of the Disney+ series The Mandalorian. But the filmmakers have adjusted their approach to the practical demands of bringing the armored bounty hunter to life on the big screen.

During his promotional work for the television series, Pascal revealed the behind-the-scenes strategy for managing the physically demanding suit work. He explained to THR that he provided voiceover narration for substantial portions of the show, noting that he did spend considerable time in the suit during production. However, the grueling schedule proved challenging.

"There was an extended amount of experimentation, being in the suit for a lot of it, and frankly, my body wasn't up for the task as far as, like, the four months of it. But I was in it. I was in it a significant amount, an elastic amount (he pretends to tug at his neck, where the suit would chafe). But now we've figured it out, which is super cool, and amazingly, it gave me the opportunity to be able to go and do something else," Pascal shared.

Behind-the-scenes reporting indicates that Pascal handled voiceover duties exclusively for seasons one and three of the series, while he physically wore the suit for the majority of season two. For the theatrical film, the production has brought in other performers to handle the physical demands.

Actor Brendan Wayne takes on the suit performer responsibilities for the movie, receiving an official credit as the "Mandalorian Suit Performer." Lateef Crowder is credited as the stunt performer. Wayne is the grandson of Hollywood legend John Wayne.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly about his approach to the role, Wayne emphasized the intentionality behind every physical movement. "When they were directing me, the more still I became, the more I became like my grandfather, the more I became like the samurai that he studied," Wayne explained. "Every movement had a meaning; you don't waste them. And with samurai, every movement is a kill movement."