'Mandalorian' Season 3 could reveal Mando's connection to a famous Jedi

With Mandalorian Season 3 in pre-production, it's a mystery how eight more episodes will expand upon this theme, but one fan theory posits it could build up to a much-anticipated Rebels cameo that blows the mystery of Din Djarin's backstory wide open.

The theory — Redditor cyclopseranger suggests that Din may have a biological brother he doesn't know about. What's more, that brother may be none other than Ezra Bridger, the Jedi protagonist of Star Wars Rebels. It seems far fetched, as Din seems to be an orphan "Foundling" adopted into Mandalorian society, but there's no firm evidence his parents ever died.

If Din's biological parents survived, they probably would have sought refuge on a different planet, one that escaped conflict in times of war. Lothal fits that description perfectly, meaning Ezra could have been born to Din's parents after they emigrated.

The timeline does match up. Although it's still unknown how old Din was when he was adopted into the Children of the Watch or when he was born, Ezra, who was born 19 years before the events of A New Hope, could technically have the same parents as Din.

However, just because Din's parentage hasn't been explored yet doesn't mean it should. Din is very content to be "The Mandalorian" first and Din Djarin second, so it's possible he may not be interested in seeking out his biological family. Still, Ezra, wherever he may be, could learn of Mando's true identity and realize the connection.

While this theory is far-fetched, it's certainly a sure-fire way to bring Ezra Bridger into the main cast of The Mandalorian very quickly while delivering a major twist. When Mando met Ahsoka, he was shocked at the idea of a Mandalorian and a Jedi fighting alongside each other. The only thing more shocking would be finding out he has a brother who's also a Jedi.

The smoking gun — The most peculiar piece of evidence is an anecdote from actor Bernard Bullen, who played Din's father. In an interview with Star Wars Reviews, Bullen says he was never brought in for an audition. This could mean his casting was done purely by resemblance, paving the way for a Season 3 reveal. (It could also mean that this relatively minor non-speaking role wasn't worth holding auditions for in the first place.)

"I didn’t even know which project it was as it was very secretive," Bullen said. "When I found out that he was for the first-ever live TV action Star Wars show, imagine my reaction! It was to be the father of the Mandalorian. The craziest thing of this is that I never auditioned."

The actor, who appears briefly in a Season 1 flashback sequence, explained that information about his character was doled out on a need-to-know basis, and he wasn't told much:

"Taika Waititi did tell us a few things but even in that moment when we were filming, we didn’t have much information, just the necessary if you know what I mean. I think I know very well what they are doing in terms of backgrounds and showing info because some characters are still developing."

The Inverse analysis — It's possible Bullen was cast specifically because he looks like Ezra's dad in Rebels and then kept in the dark to avoid what would be a huge Mandalorian Season 3 spoiler? It might be a stretch, but we wouldn't rule it out. After all, Mando has the Darksaber now, so would it come as a huge surprise if he also turned out to be a little Force-sensitive too?

The Mandalorian Season 2 is now streaming on Disney+.