The Mandalorian Creator Jon Favreau Says Baby Yoda Isn't Baby Yoda, Ruins 2020 for Everyone

Fans of The Mandalorian have fallen head over heels in love with the character of The Child—so much so that they've dubbed him "Baby Yoda" and have spent the last two months gushing over his every movement and vocalization. While there is no doubt that series creator Jon Favreau is pleased with the success of the show and its little green superstar, he also wants to dash our dreams and make sure we understand that Baby Yoda is not, in fact, baby Yoda.

While JoJo Rabbit director Taika Waititi has already spilled the beans that Baby Yoda does indeed have a name (that's not Baby Yoda) and that we'll learn it soon, now Favreau is stepping in to put an end to all this Baby Yoda madness. CNN reports that Favreau recently spoke with USA Today and explained that Baby Yoda’s timeline does not match up with the iconic Jedi Master’s at all.

“The series timeline takes place after Return of the Jedi, and fans of the original trilogy will remember that Yoda not only passes away but actually disappears," Favreau said. "So Yoda exists as a Force ghost.”

The showrunner went on to explain that he believes fans have run rampant with the Baby Yoda moniker because it's the “easiest, shortest, most hashtaggable way" to talk about the character, even if it's wrong.

Ok, we get it: Baby Yoda is clearly not Yoda. But there's still a chance the two could be related, right? When asked if the two characters might share a gene pool, Favreau kept his lips zipped, stating, “I can't say, but there are a lot of theories about that.”

Sounds like we'll have to wait until The Mandalorian returns to Disney+ this fall to find out exactly who Baby Yoda is.

[h/t CNN]