While his apparent hatred for comic book movies has made him a divisive figure among superhero fans, there's no denying that filmmaker Martin Scorsese is a legend.
Beyond his historic work behind the camera, he's made several noteworthy cameos over the years. Still, after dismissing Marvel Studios movies as "theme parks" in 2019, it's fair to say no one could have imagined him joining the cast of The Mandalorian and Grogu. Despite that, Scorsese will indeed make his Star Wars debut as an Ardennian in the upcoming movie.
Talking to SFX Magazine, The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau explained how the filmmaker's cameo came to be, and credited former Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy with helping to make it happen.
"I know him, and I'm friendly with him when I see him," he explained. "But also I'm a fan, so I get a little tongue-tied, to be honest with you, when I'm around him and his generation of filmmakers that were so influential on me."
"[Kathleen] knows him well, she socialises with him, and she's like a gold-star producer, so this was an easy one for her. She called him up, he said yes, and I got to direct him. He was improvising, and we recorded his whole performance, which we then gave to the CG animators."
"Boy, it's quite impressive what they were able to do," Favreau continued. "It's one of the funnest parts of the film. It works well for the story, as a fan of Marty and as a fan of Star Wars."
In a separate conversation with Fandango, The Mandalorian and Grogu director revealed the surprising connection between Scorsese's character and the Ardennian, Rio Durant, who Favreau lent his voice to in 2018's Solo: A Star Wars Story.
"I was a cook in the Solo movie. He has a food truck in this one. I gave our characters the same last name," he revealed. "So, our characters are related in theory."
As Easter Eggs go, that's a fun one, and it's hard to blame Favreau for wanting to create a connection between his and Scorsese's respective Star Wars characters. Don't bank on seeing him and Rio share the screen, though, as the smugger died during the conveyex heist in Solo.
In The Mandalorian and Grogu, the evil Empire has fallen, and Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they have enlisted the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his young apprentice Grogu.
Directed by Jon Favreau, the movie also stars Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White. It's produced by Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Dave Filoni, and Ian Bryce, with music composed by Ludwig Göransson.
The Mandalorian and Grogu arrives in theaters on May 22.