The Mandalorian’s Most Controversial Choice Was Inspired by Marvel

While many of us love the vast worldbuilding of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, our ion is not necessarily shared by all viewers. In fact, as the MCU heads into its fifth phase, complaints about the adoption of serialized storytelling to a traditionally stand-alone format have only increased. As other franchises try out post-credit scenes, shared universe spinoffs, and fan-service moments, some people long for a simple, straightforward story (and those people can even count MCU head honcho Kevin Feige among them.)

Take the response to the resolution of the cliffhanger at the end of The Book of Boba Fett.

For showrunner Jon Favreau, this problem wasn’t a problem at all. The source of his confidence? The Marvel Cinematic Universe. At a fan convention in Spain (via CBR), Favreau marveled at the way MCU viewers kept track of the various characters and plot points. “I learned a lot by watching how sophisticated the audiences were,” he itted, and relied on that sophistication when crafting The Mandalorian. Because “people are very quick to fill each other in” Favreau explained, “I felt that I had the liberty to not spend all the time with [Din and Grogu] apart in The Mandalorian and spend that time in The Book of Boba Fett as chapters, as though it were a novel.” Taking one show’s title literally, Favreau describes The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett not as separate stories, but as parts of a whole. “They were chapters that dealt with different characters, and everybody seems to follow it.”

Few people better know more about MCU success than Favreau. His direction and collaboration with the first Iron Man made that movie a hit, effectively launching the massive franchise. Although he stepped away from creative duties after Avengers: Endgame.

But is he right to say the formula applies to Clone Wars cartoon series.

We won’t yet know if Favreau’s approach will ultimately prove correct, but it will certainly become clearer after The Mandalorian Season 3 gets underway on Disney+ next week.