UPDATE: Could it be…R5-D4?
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The droid who blew a gasket after Uncle Owen bought him, forcing an exchange for R2-D2, has been reconsidered and reimagined over the years. Some fan theories have him as the real hero of A New Hope, sabotaging himself, so R2 could get to Luke Skywalker. Kenner added fuel to this far when they made over the action figure with a secret missile launcher hidden inside, implying there was more to the astromech than met the eye. And many astromechs look alike, so it’s possible this isn’t the droid it looks like.
But if it is, and this series is set after the original trilogy…how did he survive?
PREVIOUSLY:
Lucasfilm has announced the cast for its first live-action Star Wars TV series. The Mandalorian will star Pedro Pascal as the lead character (as was reported in recent months), the lone gunfighter called the Mandalorian. He’ll be joined by Gina Carano (Deadpool), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad), Emily Swallow (Supernatural), Carl Weathers (Predator), Omid Abtahi (American Gods), Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man), and Nick Nolte (Affliction). 
The series is set after Return of the Jedi, after the Empire has fallen but before the First Order has formed. It sounds like the show will have a more intimate focus, following the Mandalorian around the galaxy. It’s lawless territory where the recently formed New Republic, led by Mon Mothma, doesn’t hold much sway.I’m looking forward to seeing a ground-level tale that’s not necessarily focused on the bigger good-and-evil picture. Although novels have explored the period following the death of Emperor Palpatine, we haven’t seen that era on screen. I don’t want to see familiar faces (so help me if there’s a mention of Skywalker), but I hope to see the galactic conflict through an everyday person perspective.Directors on the show include Dave Filoni, Deborah Chow, Rick Famuyiwa, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Taika Waititi. Jon Favreau is serving as writer and executive producer.The Mandalorian is coming to Disney +, Disney’s direct-to-consumer streaming service at a yet to be announced date.
Images: Lucasfilm
Amy Ratcliffe is the Managing Editor for Nerdist and the author of Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy (pre-order it on Amazon). Follow her on Twitter.