The Mandalorian season 3 finale included many revelations; apparently, one reveal was left out due to Pedro Pascal's involvement with The Last of Us.
The Mandalorian season 3 saw Din Djarin team up with Bo-Katan Kryze to reunite the various tribes of Mandalorians and retake their home planet of Mandalore. Throughout their adventures, Djarin reconnected with his culture and investigated what being a Mandalorian and having Grogu in his life meant to him. The finale finds him relaxing at his new home on the outskirts of Nevarro with Grogu, who he formally adopted and has taken on as his Mandalorian apprentice. While the ending provides a well-earned moment of peace for the Mandalorian and Grogu, it wasn't what the writers originally planned.
On an episode of The Hot Mic podcast, Jeff Sneider discussed a rumor he'd heard about the original plan the show's writers had for The Mandalorian season 3 finale. "Regarding 'The Mandalorian' and Pedro Pascal... I'm told that Pedro Pascal's [face] not being in 'The Mandalorian' was a scheduling thing... He wasn't seen in 'The Mandalorian' finale," Sneider said. "That was simply a matter of scheduling with 'The Last of Us', which is in first position for him. He was on set for a couple of episodes this past season..."
If true, it's unsurprising that Pascal would prioritize The Last of Us over The Mandalorian. The two shows' production schedules overlapped over the past couple of years, with filming for The Last of Us beginning in July 2021 and filming for The Mandalorian beginning in October 2021 - nine months before production ended for The Last of Us. Unlike The Mandalorian, Pascal's character in The Last of Us shows his face every time he's on-screen, meaning Pascal has to be present on set for every scene that Joel appears in. Although he is sometimes on the set of The Mandalorian, Pascal's presence isn't as much of a requirement since his character is usually covered from head to toe in Mandalorian armor. It seems like an obvious choice for Pascal to decline shooting a single scene for The Mandalorian around his schedule for a show that requires him to be on set for most of the scenes.
With both shows receiving more seasons, fans may wonder if this situation will continue to present itself. While Pascal has enjoyed a lot of praise for his work on The Mandalorian, the show doesn't allow him to show his face like in The Last of Us, so it would make sense for him to continue prioritizing The Last of Us over The Mandalorian. However, those who've played Part II know that Pascal may not have as big a role in The Last of Us season 2. While showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin haven't confirmed any plot details about season 2, it's difficult to imagine that they would change one of the biggest plot points from the game. So, while filming The Last of Us season 1 may have taken precedence this time, perhaps Pascal will be more available for future seasons of The Mandalorian.
The Mandalorian seasons 1-3 are available to stream now on Disney Plus, and The Last of Us season 1 is available on HBO Max.
Source: The Hot Mic