The action and exploits of Din Djarin in the second season of The Mandalorian expanded the world of the Mudhorn Clan, and in doing so finally deleted the line between film and TV with truly cinematic action and effects. Emmy winning Stunt Coordinator Ryan Watson discusses his work on the show, and the ‘black-belt level of moviemaking’.
“We knew what we were getting into, but we couldn’t help it,” says Ryan Watson, the Emmy-winning stunt coordinator for the series, which saw its second season bring a “bigger scope of action” with harder fights, more complex sets and higher-flying villains. Watson, who won an Emmy for his work on The Mandalorian’s first season and handled stunts on Wonder Woman and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, says that despite his ample experience with big-budget projects, “I call this a black-belt level of moviemaking because it’s just so fast and it’s so intricate. I’ve never done anything this intricate and this vast.”
A prime example of that comes in the season two finale, when The Mandalorian and Moff Gideon (played by Giancarlo Esposito) face off aboard an Imperial ship after Gideon’s Dark Troopers have captured Grogu. Brazilian stuntman Lateef Crowder takes over for Pascal during such scenes; he is trained in a martial arts style called capoeira, which combines elements of dance, acrobatics and music, and allows him to “have the ability to duck extra far,” says Watson. “We watched the playback and you would see how the sword went by and he’s moving his head and it’s missing by 2 inches, and that’s a testament to him.”
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