Jon Favreau shares photo of George Lucas cradling Baby Yoda. No caption needed
Broken the internet is after a photo of Baby Yoda and George Lucas surfaced on social media.
The blurry but adorable snap, posted Thursday by none other than “The Mandalorian†showrunner Jon Favreau, shows the “Star Wars†creator cradling the 50-year-old tyke as if it were his own grandchild — which, in a way, it sort of is?
As with any minor wrinkle in the “Star Wars†universe, the fresh Baby Yoda content sparked a flurry of fan theories: Is Lucas returning to write or direct an episode for “The Mandalorian’s†sophomore season? Does he now have his very own copy of “The Child†in his possession?
The father of “Star Wars†has had some involvement with the Disney+ series so far, and Favreau’s photo does appear to be taken on a studio set, with lots of equipment and people milling about in the background (insert side-eye emoji here).
At the very least, the meeting between the Child and its maker served as somewhat of an olive branch for those conjecturing about a feud between Lucas and Disney following reports that the famed director was not in attendance at the premiere of the ill-received “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.â€
After all, if Baby Yoda can bring even the trolls of the internet together, what can’t the green, force-wielding infant do?
As of Friday morning, Favreau’s photographic gem had amassed more than 500,000 likes on Twitter. Just another day in the life for Baby Yoda, which achieved instant viral status upon its aww-inducing, scene-stealing debut in the first episode of the hit “Star Wars†spinoff — easily surpassing the popularity of the series’ title character (Pedro Pascal).
Since then, the web has been happily inundated with fan art, memes and homemade merchandise in a Baby Yoda content overload that even the almighty Disney has been struggling to contain.
After it was first accused of trying and failing to control the gif outbreak, the studio giant is now reportedly exerting its copyright power on unauthorized merch — spurred by a gap in the market while fans eagerly await the company’s official “The Child†products.
An official Baby Yoda doll is available for presale, but the cute plush toy from “The Mandalorian†has already been eclipsed by bootleg versions.
Etsy artist Tanya Alvarez confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that the online store deactivated her listing of a Baby Yoda-inspired plush toy and sent her an email alert that Disney had filed a trademark infringement complaint. Alvarez first began selling the product on Dec. 13, filed under “baby Yoda,†“Disney yoda,†“star wars Yoda,†and the “yoda child.â€
She was able to sell about 200 of her fluffy creations before Disney complained in January that she used “Star Wars,†“Disney†and “Yoda†without permission. The $25 toy is now relisted as “The Baby Child,†“baby alien plush,†“star plushie,†“alien toy,†“star battle,†“galaxy wars†and “yodoll.â€
Baby Yoda followers will have to wait a few more months before they can start purchasing Disney-approved merch of their little lord and savior in May.
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