Jon Favreau confirms that IG-88 is joining the cast of The Mandalorian

On Christmas day, Santa Favreau delivered the gift of good news for those looking forward to his upcoming Star Wars TV series THE MADALORIAN destines for Disney +. As if with bells on, the IRON MAN and SWINGERS helmer took to his personal Instagram account to announce that IG-88, the deadly assassin droid, is coming to the star-studded Star Wars series. According to Star Wars lore, the IG-88 – or Phuldroid – was manufactured by Holowan Laboratories to be one of the most lethal bounty hunter bots in the galaxy. The IG-88 made its first appearance in Irvin Kershner's STAR WARS: EPISODE V – THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, where the droid was hired by Darth Vader  to track down the Millennium Falcon and her Rebel crew.

For me, the most interesting aspect of Jon Favreau's photo is that IG-88 looks to be an "in the metal" droid, as opposed to a full-on CGI character. This is bound to please Star Wars fans like me who delight in practical effects being used within the Star Wars Universe. Don't get me wrong, Star Wars has done some mighty impressive work throughout the years with their CGI tech, I'm just a big fan of puppetry and animatronics in general.

Over the past several weeks, THE MANDALORIAN has gained some significant star power with Hollywood heavy-hitters the likes of Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Werner Herzog, Nick Nolte and Carl Weathers all signing on to Favreau's ambitious new series. With so many characters roaming throughout the Star Wars Universe, there's no telling who could be announced next.

For those of you who're feeling a little lost as to what THE MANDALORIAN is exactly, the upcoming live-ation adventure is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. The series follows the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic.

Are you excited to hear that one of the Star Wars Universe's coolest murder bots is coming to THE MADALORIAN? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.