Could Jeff Goldblum Be Joining The Star Wars Universe For The Mandalorian?

the world according to jeff goldblum disney+ sneakers
(Image credit: Disney+)
(Image credit: Disney+)

The Mandalorian made a splash when it premiered on Disney+ in late 2019 as the first live-action Star Wars TV show, and the second season is one of the most highly-anticipated premieres of 2020. Now, a big-name actor seems like he could join the Star Wars universe via The Mandalorian if the stars properly aligned. Jeff Goldblum recently dropped some comments that certainly raise the possibility.

Jeff Goldblum weighed in on The Mandalorian during a chat with Insider, saying this when asked if he'd like to appear on the Disney+ show:

I'm a fan of it! I'm a fan, of course, of Taika Waititi. I adore him, always did before I even worked with him, and maybe we'll do something again together. We've talked about doing something else that has to be secret right now but I would do anything with him, sure. And Disney+ are just a great bunch.

As Jeff Goldblum mentioned, Taika Waititi was part of The Mandalorian Season 1, both behind and in front of the camera. He voiced the droid bounty hunter IG-11 (for which he scored an Emmy nomination), who ultimately sacrificed himself to give Baby Yoda the chance to escape in the first season finale. Waititi also directed the first season finale, which delivered some humor that felt straight out of Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok in the best way.

Jeff Goldblum played the Grandmaster in Ragnarok, so why not join forces on The Mandalorian? Goldblum is the one who brought up Taika Waititi and their potential secret project when answering a question about The Mandalorian, after all! That's not to say that enthusiasm for The Mandalorian, Waititi, and Disney+ will translate into a journey to the galaxy far, far away, but Goldblum definitely didn't rule it out!

Of course, there is the question of what kind of character that Jeff Goldblum could play in the Star Wars universe. Goldblum responded to the suggestion of a quirky alien bounty hunter, saying:

Oh, that's fun! Well, I did that thing with Taika for Marvel, and I was a little bit of a mixed kind of character, a little bad in that, so I can imagine what you're talking about.

All of this said, we can at least pretty safely rule out a Taika Waititi/Jeff Goldblum team-up in The Mandalorian Season 2, which is due to premiere this fall even though Disney+ has yet to release any new footage. Taika Waititi already explained why he didn't direct an episode for Season 2, and the death of IG-11 means that he wouldn't be needed for character work either.

As for Jeff Goldblum, he was working on the second season of Disney+'s The World According to Jeff Goldblum before production had to shut down, and he's currently in the United Kingdom filming Jurassic World: Dominion. If Star Wars is in his future, I wouldn't put any money on Season 2. That said, the wild success of The Mandalorian (helped by the cuteness of Baby Yoda) in Season 1 means it's likely that the show could enjoy a long run, unlike the Obi-Wan Kenobi series also happening at Disney+.

Whether or not Jeff Goldblum appears on The Mandalorian, he could bring an Emmy to Disney+. He has been nominated in the category of Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special as host and executive producer of The World According to Jeff Goldblum. (The Mandalorian is also in the running for the 2020 Emmys in multiple categories.) You can find the full first seasons of both The World According to Jeff Goldblum and The Mandalorian streaming on Disney+ now. For some more viewing options, check out our 2020 fall TV premiere schedule!

Laura Hurley
Senior Content Producer

Laura turned a lifelong love of television into a valid reason to write and think about TV on a daily basis. She's not a doctor, lawyer, or detective, but watches a lot of them in primetime. CinemaBlend's resident expert and interviewer for One Chicago, the galaxy far, far away, and a variety of other primetime television. Will not time travel and can cite multiple TV shows to explain why. She does, however, want to believe that she can sneak references to The X-Files into daily conversation (and author bios).