Boba Fett Makes a Surprise Return in 'The Mandalorian' — Who Is Behind That Mask?

Season 2 of the Disney+ hit original show The Mandalorian has finally started premiering on the streaming service. This season alone has brought plenty of twists and turns to Din Djarin's journey to bring Baby Yoda (technically named Grogu) to safety, but like all Star Wars installments, the plot twists just keep coming.

At the beginning of the series, viewers noticed the small cameo a character, who was previously thought to be dead, made. Now, it looks like he'll be a staple this season.

Boba Fett, whose character passed in one of the series' many movies, seems to have come back! But who plays Boba in The Mandalorian, and why did the franchise choose to bring his character back so unexpectedly?

For those who aren't die-hard Star Wars fans (it's OK, we can't all be), here's a quick refresher on who Boba actually is.

The character was originally introduced to the franchise in 1978 during the Star Wars Holiday Special, but more importantly, he's remembered for partnering up with Darth Vader to capture Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back. Boba is a bounty hunter, who, admittedly, isn't the best at his job.

Many viewers will also remember that Boba supposedly died in Return of the Jedi by falling into the pit of the hungry Sarlacc. Except, it seems like he actually didn't die! Surprise!

Now, it looks as though the bounty hunter has returned to make an appearance in the Disney+ exclusive The Mandalorian. With Baby Yoda stolen from Din Djarin, Boba has promised the Mandalorian he'll help get the little creature back.

This is super exciting for Star Wars fans, as there had long been rumors that Boba would be returning to the franchise, despite his supposed death. There is even talk of a potential spinoff featuring Boba as the main character coming to Disney+ in the future — leading some to believe his cameo is indicative of something more. 

Thanks to the fact that Boba's character is always wearing his helmet, it's no surprise that there have been a couple of actors to take on the role over the years and across the different movies in the franchise. But in The Mandalorian, Boba is actually played by Temuera Morrison, who isn't exactly new to the character. 

Temuera actually played Jango Fett, Boba's father and the template by which the Clone troopers were made, in the 2002 Attack of the Clones movie.

Temuera has made quite a few appearances in the Star Wars franchise. He's played a series of other minor roles, including Commander Cody in Revenge of the Sith, as well as taking on the voice acting roles of both Boba and Jango in some of the Star Wars video games.

His IMDb page even says that he voiced Boba in the 2004 DVD version of The Empire Strikes Back. Basically, despite not reprising the role for a long while, Temuera is very familiar with the character.