Disney criticised over “extremely fake” Pedro Pascal ‘surprise’ for fans

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Disney is facing backlash over a seemingly staged meet-and-greet between actor Pedro Pascal and fans of Star Wars. Pascal is currently promoting the new The Mandalorian and Grogu movie, where he returns as his popular character, Din Djarin.

A few days ago, the official Star Wars Instagram account posted a video of the actor playfully hiding in his costume as guests boarded the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ride at Disneyland.

It was an incredible moment! He totally shocked everyone when he took his helmet off – you could just feel the wave of surprise and then pure joy from the crowd. It was a real ‘wow’ moment for all of us fans!

The video has received some criticism, with viewers pointing out that many of the people shown were social media influencers, bloggers, and content creators.

Many commenters pointed out the event felt staged, noting it appeared to be arranged specifically for social media influencers rather than genuine park visitors. One person wrote it seemed “extremely fake,” while another commented that the event used influencers instead of real fans.

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Honestly, it’s neat, but I really wish they wouldn’t always do these kinds of promotions with influencers and make them feel so…planned. It would be way cooler if they picked random fans instead, you know?

Digital Spy has reached out to Disney for comment.

Disney didn’t explicitly state these were just random attendees, but the influencers who were there have been sharing about the experience online, even commenting on the initial post.

A source told The Hollywood Reporter that the people at the stunt were genuine fans, including some with smaller social media followings. They were led to believe they were there to preview updates to a Disneyland attraction.

So, after the premiere, I heard Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, Jon Favreau, and even Dave Filoni from Lucasfilm all watched the ‘Shadows of Memory’ projection alongside regular people – just hanging out with the tourists! It was pretty cool to imagine them experiencing it like everyone else.

Early reviews are in for The Mandalorian and Grogu, which comes out later this week. Digital Spy gave it a two-star rating in their review.

We think a separate Star Wars movie or show is a good idea – it’s the perfect time of year for fun, big-budget entertainment. However, The Mandalorian and Grogu simply isn’t very engaging to watch.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is released in cinemas on 22 May.

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2026-05-20 14:49