Martin Scorsese's cameo in The Mandalorian and on the Grogu channel is quite real
Of all the names you might expect to see in a Star Wars movie, Martin Scorsese's name probably wasn't high on this list.
But according to SFX Magazine, citing comments from director Jon Favreau, the legendary filmmaker will actually make a cameo appearance in The Mandalorian and Grogu, voicing the alien shopkeeper seen in the film's trailer. And honestly, that's already one of the weirdest and best little details about this movie.
Kathleen Kennedy made it happen.
Favreau says Scorsese's cameo appearance was made possible byKathleen Kennedy, who knew him personally and was able to contact him directly.
According to Favreau, Kennedy “called him,” Scorsese agreed, and Favreau was given the opportunity to direct. That alone sounds pretty incredible by Star Wars standards. It's not every day that one of the most famous directors in cinema is sent to a galaxy far, far away just because the president of Lucasfilm happened to have the right phone number.
Apparently, Scorsese improvised this role.
Perhaps the most interesting thing is what happened after that.
Favreau says that Scorsese improvised and that his full vocal performance was recorded and then given to computer animators, who created the character from it.Favreau also says that it turned out to be"one of the funniest parts of the film,"adding that it works well both for the story and for anyone who is a fan of Scorsese and Star Wars.
This is a much better cameo appearance than the usual "celebrity appears for three seconds and everyone applauds because they recognize him" scenario.
Basically, it sounds like Scorsese even performed live.
Why is this such an amazingly perfect Star Wars story?
One of the reasons this is so interesting is the contrast.
Scorsese has been known to harshly criticize modern blockbuster culture on several occasions, especially following his comments about Marvel "theme parks" in 2019. Therefore, the very idea of his appearance in a modern Star Wars film, even in the role of an alien shopkeeper, takes on an additional ironic connotation.
But it is this irony that makes this story exciting.
Because it doesn't sound like a cynical cameo appearance in a movie. It sounds like an admission from a respected director that he took a funny role, improvised, and let the Star Wars special effects machine turn it into something memorable.
One of the most pleasant surprises of the film?
If Favreau isn't exaggerating, this could be one of those weird little things that people will talk about long after the movie comes out.
Not because Scorsese suddenly becomes some major Star Wars figure, but because the whole thing is an incredibly fascinating collision of worlds: one of the most celebrated directors in film history, Kathleen Kennedy making the decisions, Favreau directing the shoot, and the computer artists turning the result into an alien merchant in a Star Wars movie.
This is not the most important thing in the series "The Mandalorian" and his company Grogu.
But this is perhaps one of the most delicious options.