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The marketing for The Mandalorian season 2 is spot-on once again, despite the relative lack of big names. After a rapturously received debut on Disney+, The Mandalorian season 2 is inching closer, promising a bigger and better Star Wars experience the second time around. Din Djarin and Baby Yoda will explore the galaxy in search of their respective homes, with the Empire’s Moff Gideon hot on their tail, Darksaber in hand. Joining the cast are Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano, Katee Sackhoff as Bo-Katan Kryze, Temuera Morrison as Boba Fett (presumably), and Timothy Olyphant as Cobb Vanth, among other confirmed guest stars and returning faces from season 1.
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With a wealth of major names to draw from, it’s strange that Disney hasn’t revealed any of them in The Mandalorian‘s season 2 marketing. Boba Fett attracts casual fans chiefly interested in the Star Wars movies, while the arrival of Ahsoka has followers of the animated Star Wars world restless with anticipation. These characters feel like major selling points, but The Mandalorian season 2’s trailers have focused squarely on the central pairing of Din Djarin and Baby Yoda, with brief glimpses of season 1’s Cara Dune and Greef Karga. Through footage, posters and official images, the only big reveal so far has been confirmation of Sasha Banks’ casting in an unspecified role.
Most advertising experts would be horrified by The Mandalorian‘s secrecy, which obviously hasn’t utilized the show’s strongest assets to the fullest, but hiding its biggest characters is another stroke of promotional genius from Mando. In the build towards The Mandalorian season 1, no one knew what to expect from Disney+’s salvaged Boba Fett solo movie. Although a trailer promised stunning visuals and a western vibe, the central protagonist remained an enigma, and there were no familiar Star Wars faces to latch onto. The Mandalorian was surfing on brand value alone. Not only did the finished product blow expectations out of the bacta tank, but the season 1 premiere introduced the global sensation known as Baby Yoda – a perfect marketing tool if ever there was one.
Had Baby Yoda been revealed ahead of time, The Mandalorian‘s promo campaign would’ve enjoyed a major boost, but the impact of The Child’s dramatic reveal in episode 1 would’ve been lessened as a result. Star Wars fans may have then dismissed the character as a mere marketing tactic to make kids pester their parents into buying Disney+. Instead, Baby Yoda’s absence from marketing proved the character was no mere Porg, and Star Wars fans of all persuasions got behind the galaxy’s tiniest Jedi. By resisting the temptation to spoil Baby Yoda in trailer footage, the cultural impact was immense, affording The Mandalorian far more mainstream exposure than they might’ve received otherwise.
The same strategy is now being repeated with The Mandalorian season 2‘s additions. Since Disney have to cast actual humans this time (rather than an adorable puppet), it was impossible to avoid the new characters hitting headlines, but withholding their on-screen debuts builds the aura of anticipation and ensures each character will arrive with maximum impact when they do finally appear in The Mandalorian season 2. In the case of Moff Gideon (who debuted in season 1, but has still been absent in season 2’s marketing), the cloak and dagger helps maintain the villain’s shadowy nature – like a horror movie that never fully shows the monster.
In terms of attracting viewers, The Mandalorian is in a far better position now than it was prior to season 1. As the flagship of Disney+’s original launch content, Baby Yoda could’ve been the face of the entire streaming platform, and to keep him hidden surely involved some behind-the-scenes battles. Ahead of season 2, The Mandalorian has proven itself a runaway success, justifying the elusive marketing of season 1. Furthermore, animated Star Wars fans who would be excited by the prospect of seeing Ahsoka and Bo-Katan in live-action are already firmly on board The Mandalorian‘s bandwagon – they need no further convincing. The Mandalorian‘s season 2 trailer could’ve been 3 solid minutes of the Razor Crest cruising through space and everyone who watched first season would’ve happily returned anyway. Why spoil the big reveals of Ahsoka Tano, Bo-Katan Kryze and Boba Fett when ambiguity is one of The Mandalorian‘s biggest strengths?
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