Fans Criticize Disney Over Staged Pedro Pascal Encounter to Promote ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’
Disney’s recent promotional effort for ‘Star Wars’ is stirring mixed feelings online after fans uncovered that a viral Pedro Pascal surprise at Disneyland was not entirely spontaneous.
This past weekend, Disney released a video featuring Pascal, dressed as Din Djarin from ‘The Mandalorian’, surprising a group of guests at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland. In the footage, Pascal takes off his helmet just before guests board the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run attraction, eliciting cheers and emotional reactions from the crowd.
Disney shared the video on Instagram with the caption, “Pedro Pascal creates the surprise of a lifetime at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at @disneyland.” The moment quickly gained traction on social media, with many believing the actor had made an unplanned appearance before regular park visitors.
After the truth emerged, fans learned that the group was actually comprised of ‘Star Wars’ bloggers, influencers, and cosplay personalities who had been invited by Disney and Lucasfilm for the event. This revelation led to some viewers accusing the studio of misrepresenting the moment.
Several fan accounts voiced their discontent with the campaign once the details were revealed. One fan site commented, “The backlash surrounding the Pedro Pascal Disneyland stunt taps directly into a growing problem for Disney: Audiences no longer trust the company’s marketing.”
Despite the criticism, Disney never explicitly stated that the guests were random tourists. Many of the involved creators later shared their own experiences and expressed gratitude to Lucasfilm for the invitation.
One ‘Star Wars’ cosplayer shared online, “I was a crying fool after shaking [Pascal’s] hand and screaming along with everyone in that room last night and I’m okay with that.” They also added, “The team @starwars @lucasfilm worked tirelessly on planning out this epic experience for us.”
Another digital creator expressed their thanks to the studio, writing, “Biggest thank you to the team @starwars for making this happen.”
The invited group included genuine ‘Star Wars’ fans, even if many had online followings. A source close to the situation reportedly stated that the guests were initially informed they were attending a preview related to the Smugglers Run attraction and did not anticipate Pascal’s appearance.
The source also indicated that the reactions captured in the clip were authentic. Following the event, Pedro Pascal reportedly joined Sigourney Weaver, Jon Favreau, and Lucasfilm creative chief Dave Filoni to enjoy the “Shadows of Memory” projection show alongside regular Disneyland visitors.
This controversy arises just days ahead of the release of ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu,’ marking the first new ‘Star Wars’ film in seven years. Early reactions from fans have begun surfacing online, with some praising it as a delightful return to the big screen for ‘Star Wars.’
One early viewer described the film as “a grin-inducing crowd-pleaser that puts Star Wars back on theatrical track.”
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