THE MANDALORIAN Star Giancarlo Esposito Teases A Moff Gideon Breakout In Upcoming Season 3

The sinister Moff Gideon spent the first two seasons of The Mandalorian hunting down Grogu with the might of the Empire's remnants behind him. Along with commanding his own battalion of Stormtroopers, the villain also took charge of a small army of Dark Troopers that could ultimately only be stopped by the returning Luke Skywalker. 

We still don't know exactly what Gideon's end goal is, but he appears to have a vested interest in cloning (with Grogu somehow key to his plan). The prevailing theory online is that he's among those tasked with creating a new body for Emperor Palpatine, but what's next after being captured by the New Republic?

"Yes, it’s assumed he is behind bars," actor Giancarlo Esposito responded when Entertainment Tonight (via SFFGazette.com) asked about his season 3 role. "I think we could have an opportunity to see him escape those chains that bind him."

"We want to see a guy who is a mastermind who has an idea for the future that no one else has. And so, we want to know what that is and we want to know if that’s good or bad," he continues. "I keep holding onto this idea that he really wants to save this galaxy. Of course, everyone does. But everyone assumes he just wants to control it. So, let’s find out if that’s true or not."

Resurrecting the Emperor and restoring order to the Galaxy would definitely be the sort of mission someone like Gideon would consider a heroic one, and there have already been hints that he's somehow behind Supreme Leader Snoke's creation. The Star Wars sequels were divisive, but better explaining the emergence of that villain and The First Order's rise to power would be welcomed by fans. 

How Gideon escapes is a mystery for now, of course, though there have already been some very interesting rumours about the villain getting a new look (you can check that out here).

The Mandalorian season 3 is set to premiere on Disney+ sometime in February 2023.