How “Shang-Chi” influenced the Mandalorian’s Mythosaur design
The mythosaur, as its name suggests, was a legendary creature, even in the fantastical world of The Mandalorian. It was a gigantic submerged animal that people like the Armourer spoke of in hushed tones (Emily Swallow). Because of its legend, it was fitting to be the symbol of the Mandalorian clans that could be worn by all. The imagery of the mythosaur already existed in war of stars long before Pedro Pascal donned his Beskar armor and first appeared on the shoulders of a Boba Fett The Empire Strikes Back in 1980. Soon after, it became the official icon of the Mandalorian creed. If The Mandalorian When it premiered, the Mythosaur skull logo could be seen above the entrance to the Armorer’s Lair.
Rachel Morrisonthe acclaimed cinematographer he has worked with Ryan Coogler At Black Panther And Fruitvale station along with – perhaps more relevantly – the future Mando Executive Producer and Director Rick Famuyiwa to his movie stimulantstook over the director’s chair for the third season of The Mandaloriantitled The Mines of Mandalore, which is where we see the Mythosaur for the first time.
After Pedro PascalDin Djarin, bathing in the waters of Mandalore to regain his honor and status, is drawn into the deep, Bo-Katan Kryze (Kate Sackhoff) dives deep to save the bounty hunter – before encountering the giant beast and sending Bo-Katan into a crisis of faith about her place in Mandalorian culture. However, the moment could have been very different, as Morrison revealed in a chat with Collider’s Perry Nemiroffwhen she explains that the trailer for a Marvel movie caused her to change her plans for the big reveal very quickly.
The Shang Dalorian
“The interesting thing is that after watching that beforehand I think we all looked like we were all set to go and then the trailer Shang Chi came out and there was a shot in the trailer that, I don’t kid you, was almost identical to our plan for the Mythosaur,” Morrison said. “And I mean, thank god she came out in the trailer and [we] We’re one step ahead of the game because we knew we had to turn around immediately.
The revelation of the Mythosaur had far-reaching implications for the storyline due to its importance in Mandalorian lore. Manda lore? We know that the mythosaur was the original dominant species of Mandalore, much like dragons in ancient fantasy, before becoming extinct over the millennia. But they are sacred beings in Mandalorian history, and Morrison knew they had to make the reveal special.
“The question was: How do we get the same tension, just enough tension without too much information, but we have to take it in a completely different direction? So it was more of a cliffhanger: How do we do it differently? But that was always the intent, to be mystery, suspense, and really a cliffhanger that would carry you into the rest of the season.
The Mandalorian And Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings are currently streaming exclusively on Disney+.
