If you had told me a year ago that one of my favorite loud and rude comedians was going to be in a Star Wars feature of any sort I would have thought you needed to lay off the crack pipe. I also might have thought that there was a good chance that he would be there only for unnecessary comedy relief.
Instead, we got a performance from the guy that really shows that he has some real acting chops and I look forward to seeing him in the future not just in Mandalorian seasons, but basically any dramatic role that he pursues.
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There are rumors out there that the reason why Bill Burr was cast was not because he was actually seeking the role and routinely makes fun of "Star Wars nerds." When he was asked about how much of a fan of Star Was he was as a child he said "not at all." In his very popular Podcast (which you really should check out, it is a laugh-riot) he said of people waiting in line for Star Wars films, sometimes camping out to get good seats.
“‘How old are you? Why are you still dressing like Boba Fett?’ what is all this shit?”
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It was exactly because of this constant criticism that Jon Favreau reached out to him to propose a role for him in The Mandalorian. Bill at first thought that Jon was fucking with him, but then at a birthday party it became clear to Burr that Jon was in fact, quite serious. Burr said "Jon, you know I make fun of Star Wars and their fans all the time, right?"
Favreau thought that it would be funny to include someone that is such a loud critic of Star Wars into the series and when I found out about it, I was less than thrilled because of all the things that happen in Star Wars films, I find the comic relief to be quite unnecessary and even off-putting (just think of Jar Jar for a second - Me no want to.)
In the end Burr is mostly comedic, but there is this one scene that I am not going to spoil where he truly shines as he reflects on a dark part of his past when he was with the empire. Another time when someone was questioning his abilities when he said he was an empire soldier he states "I wasn't a fucking Stormtrooper!"
I don't know if they are just trying to create hype but previously it was "leaked" that Bill would return in season two but in later interviews Burr has said that he definitely is not doing so. I seriously hope that this is all just a press misdirection because honestly, he portrayal of Migs Mayfeld was one of my favorites in the entire thing.
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I don't know what to think, some sources say he definitely is coming back, others say he definitely isn't
Even if he doesn't return I am happy that I got to see him in a serious role... well, kind of serious. This has shown me that Burr has some serious acting chops that extends beyond just shouting jokes on stage and talking about raging out... Don't get me wrong, I like that as well, but after seeing how seriously good he is in a dramatic role, I very much look forward to seeing him take on some more serious stuff in the future, because he may have accidentally tapped a skill that even he was unaware existed.