The Mandalorian and Grogu Star Brendan Wayne Finally Reveals the Scene That Left Him in Tears

Even with a full bucket on his head, Brendan Wayne could not get through one brutal moment in The Mandalorian and Grogu without losing it. Yeah, the man behind the armor was crying under the visor. And once you hear why, it tracks.

The man inside the suit, and the moment that broke him

Quick refresher: Wayne is the suit performer for Din Djarin (the voice you hear is Pedro Pascal ), and he has been doing it since Season 1. He also happens to be John Wayne’s grandson, which is a cool bit of film- nerd trivia that keeps paying off because Brendan is really, really good at making a sealed helmet feel human. Subtle tilts, shifts, breaths — it all reads.

In the movie, there’s a sequence where Din is ready to lay down his life so Grogu and the Anzellans can get off Nal Hutta. Wayne told Entertainment Weekly he had tears streaming under the helmet as they shot it — not because the suit is hot (which, fair), but because of what the scene meant after nearly a decade with the character and the team that brings Grogu to life. He’s a dad of three daughters, so the whole ‘I’ll go so you can live’ thing hit like a truck.

'In that moment, having lived eight years with them, to be like, "Hey, no, you got to go get in there." And knowing I’m gonna go die for this kid at that moment, because that’s what Mando has to choose at that moment: I’m going to die for you to live well.'

Wayne said it was less about being scared of death and more about the gut-punch of not being there for Grogu anymore — a very specific kind of pain that comes with loving someone you’ve sworn to protect.

'When we get old, and those infirmities we get, we constantly want to be like, "Hey, go get out of here. Go live your life. I’ll be fine. I’ll figure it out."'

Favreau on Grogu stepping up (and one very odd plot detail)

Director/writer Jon Favreau also opened up about the movie’s big swings, including a stretch where Din can’t leave a planet because he’s been poisoned by a dragon-snake. Yes, dragon-snake poisoning. It’s a choice — and it sets up Grogu having to take care of his dad-figure in a way Din never expected from someone that young. That back-and-forth — protector becomes protected, and vice versa — is the engine Favreau says makes their story work.

'He was resourceful, and so, like any other mentor relationship, your respect grows, and the responsibility grows.'

Favreau says Grogu makes several key calls throughout the film, which tracks with what fans have been responding to: the action is big, but the heart is what lands. If you got misty, so did the guy wearing the armor.

How it’s playing at the box office

The Mandalorian and Grogu is doing what Disney needed it to do out of the gate. Early numbers look like this:

• Global debut over the first three days: $145 million
• Domestic four-day opening: $102 million, ahead of early industry forecasts
• Global total has already topped $165 million
• Reported production budget: around $165 million

In short: it’s drawing crowds, it’s got legs to chase, and it’s currently in theaters if you want to see the scene that made a Mandalorian cry under the helmet.