Legendary actor John Wayne has some shockingStar Warsconnections, the most significant of which is actually inThe Mandalorianin an unexpected place. Wayne is well-known for his Western movies, withthe best John Wayne moviesincluding titles likeTrue Grit,The Searchers, andEl Dorado. He also has a smattering of other genres in his filmography, such as war movies likeThe Longest Day. His movies impressively spanned the 1920s to the 1970s, giving him a massive legacy in cinema, and there are still manyrewatchable John Wayne movies, even all these years later.
As John Wayne passed away in 1979, andA New Hopewas therefore the onlyStar Warsmovie released before his death, Wayne surprisingly has multiple connections toStar Warsmovies and TV shows. In fact, John Wayne’s legacy inStar Warsbegan at the inception of the franchise, as he had a blink-and-you-miss-it role inA New Hope, then just calledStar Wars. Decades later,The Mandalorianhas a surprising John Wayne connection that is even more significant.
John Wayne’s Grandson, Brendan, Plays The Mandalorian With Pedro Pascal
Brendan Wayne Is One Of Multiple Actors Portraying Din Djarin
The most significant John Wayne connection inStar Warsis the fact that his grandson, Brendan Wayne, is one of the actors for Din Djarin inThe Mandalorian. There are actuallythree actors who play Din Djarin inThe Mandalorian, presumably the most well-known being Pedro Pascal, who is the voice and (when his helmet is removed) the face of Din Djarin. However, Brendan Wayne is the actor who frequently plays Din Djarin when his armor is on, including his helmet.
Brendan Wayne is the actor who frequently plays Din Djarin when his armor is on, including his helmet.
Thethird actor who plays Din Djarin inThe Mandalorianis Lateef Crowder, who does most of Din Djarin’s fight and stunt scenes.The frequency with which each actor is in the suit, especially when it comes to Brendan Wayne and Pedro Pascal, is varied. For seasons 1 and 3 ofThe Mandalorian, it was reportedly primarily Wayne in the suit—in fact, Pascal was evidently not even brought on board until after filming had already begun on season 1—but Pascal switched things up during season 2, when he was in the suit for considerably more time.
This Character Is A Perfect Way Of Carrying On Wayne’s Legacy
Din Djarin Is A Great Fit For John Wayne’s Filmography
There’s more than just a familial connection to John Wayne when it comes toThe Mandalorian, though. Evidently,John Wayne is key to the success ofThe Mandalorian, asBrendan Wayne intentionally brought the essence of his grandfather’s performances and style in his role as Din Djarin. Yet again, this isn’t just because there’s a family bond here; John Wayne makes so much sense as an influence for the Din Djarin character.
John Wayne makes so much sense as an influence for the Din Djarin character.
Din Djarin may become a loving father bytheMandalorianseason 3 ending, but he starts off as a hardened bounty hunter who traverses the galaxy wielding a blaster. This is a perfect fit for John Wayne’s myriad movies and his roles as a cowboy or a soldier, even if this show is set in a galaxy far, far away. In fact,The Mandalorianisn’t the only link between John Wayne andStar Wars, given he also had a role in theStar Warsfranchise many years ago.
This Isn’t John Wayne’s Only Legacy In Star Wars
His Voice Was Used In Star Wars' Very First Movie
It’s easy to miss, butJohn Wayne’s voice was actually used inA New Hope. He voiced a character called Garindan ezz Zavor, who acted as a spy (against his will) for the Empire, even providing information on Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, R2-D2, and C-3PO. Although it’s not a massive role, it’s incredible all the same to know that this cinema legend had a role inStar Wars. All the more meaningful, this was actually John Wayne’s very last role.
Although that’s the onlyStar Warsmovie John Wayne’s voice has ever appeared in, this role was reused in other projects. Specifically,LEGO Star Wars II: The Original TrilogyandLEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga, both video games, have made use of this voice work again. It’s also worth noting, the character of Han Solo is said to have been based on some John Wayne characters (which isn’t hard to believe).Star Warstherefore has multiple connections to movie icon John Wayne, but the most significant of them all is inThe Mandalorian, via his grandson, Brendan Wayne.
