STAR WARS fans are a fickle bunch. When RETURN OF THE JEDI hit theaters in 1983, many accused George Lucas' use of Ewoks of being too cute and a blatant attempt to sell more toys. Ditto Jar Jar Binks. However, that level of criticism has not extended to The Mandalorian's newest adorable bundle of green cuteness – Baby Yoda. Fans have almost universally embraced the little green guy and are thrilled to finally have some sweet Boda merchandise to purchase.
One famous fan of Baby Yoda, Werner Herzog, just so happens to be working on The Mandalorian. Herzog plays The Client and claimed the mere sight of the Boda puppet brought him to tears, calling it "heartbreakingly beautiful." Although, STAR WARS in recent years has re-embraced the idea of using practical effects, it wasn't a sure thing with Baby Yoda. Showrunners were concerned that the puppet might not look convincing enough in postproduction and wanted to hedge their bets by doing some CGI takes.
Werner Herzog was having none of it.
Upon discovering the crew was about to do a CGI take, Herzog got very protective of Boda (Baby + Yoda) and reacted with contempt. According to reports Herzog exclaimed, "You are cowards. Leave it." Now listen, by all accounts Werner Herzog is actually a pretty affable dude in real life. However, outwardly he is intimidating as Hell. With a signature voice and look that just screams bad guy, I'd probably set myself on fire if he asked me to just because refusing Herzog would probably lead to a worse fate.
In any event, Herzog's terse words worked and Baby Yoda remained a puppet. Thank the Force for that.
The Mandalorian is currently streaming on Disney+.