Timothy Olyphant Talks Possibility of Returning to the STAR WARS Universe

It was pretty awesome seeing Timothy Olyphant join the Star Wars universe in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. He was great in the role of Cobb Vanth and a big highlight of the episodes he appeared in. Vanth is such an interesting character and I’ve been hoping to see him return to the franchise because it’s a character that needs to be explored further!

There’s a lot going on in the Star Wars projects that Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau are developing, and it’s all leading to an epic feature film that Filoni is set to direct. There’s a chance that anytime between now and the film he could pop up somewhere.

During a recent appearance on The Playlist's Bingeworthy podcast, Olyphant was asked if he has had talks with Filoni about him returning to the franchise, and he said: "If I had [talks with Filoni], I wouldn't tell you." This is totally a fair answer because there’s no way he’s going to spill the beans on if he’s returning or not. But, he did say:

"Honestly, I can tell you that I've been very, very lucky with those guys. I've only done two episodes and to have only done those two episodes and feel like you're part of a world and they created such a memorable character. I mean, you know, I'm getting away with something here. I did two episodes and I've got like four toys out there. It's ridiculous, and I know it because all of a sudden there's people at the airport with toys. That's new. But, it was a ball working on those things and those guys know if they call me I'd show up. I don't care if it's a big giant thing or just to show up for an afternoon. It's a fun gig."

It’s good to know that if Filoni and Favreau want to bring Olyphant back, he’s totally up for it! I think it’s safe to say that we will see him again, we just have no idea when and where.

The film is described as being a “New Republic vs. Imperial Remnant” story, and it’s going to be a big event film that is sure to blow fans away. During a previous interview with Filoni, he talks about his ideas of how the events of a film are different from a TV show.

When talking about the upcoming Star Wars movie, Filoni said: “The way I look at it, there are [small] stories, and then there's the big story of the day, too. A New Hope, [The Empire Strikes Back], and Return of the Jedi tell the important parts of the tale that really define the history of the period. There are all kinds of sub-stories underneath that. We've been building all these small stories."

The filmmaker then went on to discuss the theatrical experience, saying a film like the one he is making will feature an era-defining event: "To me, a theatrical experience has to have a big idea -- a monumental moment in the time period that changes what's happening. What Tony [Gilroy] has done [in Andor] and what we did in [Star Wars] Rebels, everything then changes when Luke blows up the Death Star. You're looking for those moments that define an era, and that's what the films really should be about -- whether it's characters coming together, or a defining moment."

Favreau discussed the movie being inspired by the different sources they are drawing from for the movie, saying: "When I was younger, we didn't have movies, but there were comic books, there were novels, things that are encompassed in the [expanded universe] or Legends. Clearly, there are decisions that have to be made to fit it all together, but for us, I think one thing we're in agreement about is that the characters — as special as they are — the story has to drive what characters are."

He went on to say: "We joke that it's like we're playing with action figures, like, 'What's in the box? Let's play with what's in the box!' And that's what you do when you're playing and you're a kid."

As for what action figures will be taken out of the box to play with, Favreau explained: "As we are getting deeper and deeper into this, you start to have to really map things out and figure out what that story is, and then have those characters fulfill what their growth cycle is and what their mythic hero's journey is. Those things have to fit together well. Otherwise, it won't feel like Star Wars."

Favreau went on to say: “That's always been George's base. He's a student of Joseph Campbell. How does it fit into the narrative that has the hero's journey? And so as we have more and more characters line up, you have to figure out how those characters are arcing and if it feels ultimately like a Star Wars story."

Would you like to see Cobb Vanth return for a Star Wars project? Do you think he will?