Have you ever heard of the “Miracle on Ice?” Those of us old enough, remember. In 1980, the underdog US Men’s National Team miraculously defeated the Russian juggernauts in Lake Placid. They of course went on to win the gold medal in ice hockey. In coaching the team to such great feats, the late Herb Brooks built a team of amateurs into champions. While building his team, Brooks famously said “I’m not looking for the best players, I’m looking for the right ones.” After watching the first episode of Disney Gallery ~ Star Wars: The Mandalorian, it’s no stretch to say Jon Favreau is the Herb Brooks of Star Wars.

Disney and Lucasfilm premiered the behind-the-scenes docuseries on Star Ways Day, May the Fourth. The first episode is aptly titled “Directors.” It focuses on the series’ five directors. In the episode we receive first-hand accounts from the folks responsible for bringing The Mandalorian to life. Hearing them speak, we get a true picture of just what Jon Favreau accomplished. He brought together five individuals with little in common to create arguably the best thing to happen to Star Wars in decades.

Jon Favreau; Disney Gallery
Jon Favreau with The Mandalorian Season 1 directors. (Image: Lucasfilm Ltd.)

Jon Favreau works a “miracle” with the The Mandalorian

Are there better directors out there in Hollywood? Perhaps, yes. But would they have been right for The Mandalorian? We can speculate, but why bother when the product speaks for itself? Thanks to Jon Favreau, the show vaulted to become the most streamed show in the world. Despite different voices and styles, each chosen director helped create a seamless set of invigorating stories. Those directors consist of Dave Filoni, Deborah Chow, Bryce Dallas-Howard, Rick Famuyiwa, and Taika Waititi.

The Mandalorian
CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 14: Director/executive producer Dave Filoni (L) and Writer/executive producer Jon Favreau attend “The Mandalorian” panel at the Star Wars Celebration at McCormick Place Convention Center on April 14, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois.
(Photo by Daniel Boczarski/WireImage for Disney)

From Filoni’s unadulterated love for the franchise to Chow’s intensity, this group of directors created something special. Jon Favreau chose wisely. Further evidencing that is the fact that Waititi will now direct the next Star Wars feature film, as well. Of course, it may not be “miraculous” in the true sense of the word. Nevertheless, The Mandalorian is already firmly entrenched as one of the best entries into the franchise.

Stay tuned here for more information on Disney Gallery ~ Star Wars: The Mandalorian, airing Fridays on Disney+.