Werner Herzog Has Been Cast in Star Wars Series The Mandalorian

After months of reports claiming Pedro Pascal would star in Disney’s upcoming Star Wars series The Mandalorian, Lucasfilm finally confirmed the news today, and took the opportunity to announce the full cast list—which included a few surprises.

Pascal will be playing the titular character, a “lone Mandalorian gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy.” Alongside the Game of Thrones alum will be Gina Carano, Giancarlo Esposito, Emily Swallow, Carl Weathers, Omid Abtahi, Nick Nolte, and—perhaps most surprisingly—German director Werner Herzog (yes, the auteur who made Grizzly Man and once attempted to eat his own shoe). That’s a pretty impressive lineup.

“We’re having a great time working with this incredibly talented group and excited for everyone to see what we’re up to,” the show’s creator, Jon Favreau, said along with the announcement.

The casting news follows the announcement that the series had already tapped several talented directors to step behind the camera, including Bryce Dallas Howard and Taika Waititi.

Although not many specific details have been revealed about the series, the official synopsis reads as follows:

"The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic.”

The Mandalorian will premiere on the upcoming streaming service Disney+ sometime in 2019.