Migs Mayfeld
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Migs Mayfeld is a
fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying character (arts), individuals, events, or setting (narrative), places that are imagination, imaginary or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent ...
al
character Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to Theoph ...
in the ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' franchise who appears in the
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
television series ''
The Mandalorian ''The Mandalorian'' is an American space Western television series created by Jon Favreau for the streaming service Disney+. It is the first live-action series in the ''Star Wars'' franchise and begins five years after the events of the fil ...
''. He is a former Imperial
sharpshooter A sharpshooter is one who is highly proficient at firing firearms or other projectile weapons accurately. Military units composed of sharpshooters were important factors in 19th-century combat. Along with " marksman" and "expert", "sharpshooter" ...
turned
mercenary A mercenary is a private individual who joins an armed conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any other official military. Mercenaries fight for money or other forms of payment rather t ...
who leads a crew in an attempt to rescue a prisoner from a New Republic prison transport ship. His team includes the show's protagonist, "
The Mandalorian ''The Mandalorian'' is an American space Western television series created by Jon Favreau for the streaming service Disney+. It is the first live-action series in the ''Star Wars'' franchise and begins five years after the events of the fil ...
", with whom he repeatedly clashes and ultimately betrays. The Mandalorian outsmarts him, resulting in Mayfeld's arrest and imprisonment, though he is later released so that he can aid the Mandalorian's efforts to rescue
Grogu Din Grogu (), colloquially referred to as Baby Yoda, is a Character (arts), character from the ''Star Wars'' Disney+ original television series ''The Mandalorian'' and ''The Book of Boba Fett''. He is an infant member of the same List of Star Wa ...
. As a result, the character evolves from a minor antagonist to an ally of the Mandalorian, with whom he eventually makes amends during their mission. Mayfeld is portrayed by actor and comedian
Bill Burr {{Infobox comedian , image = Bill Burr by Gage Skidmore.jpg , alt = , caption = Burr in 2018 , birth_name = William Frederic Burr , birth_date = {{birth date and age, 1968, 6, 10 , bi ...
, who was not a fan of ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' and repeatedly publicly mocked the franchise and its fans before he accepted the role. ''The Mandalorian'' creator
Jon Favreau Jonathan Kolia Favreau ( ; born October 19, 1966) is an American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, Favreau has appeared in films such as ''Rudy (film), Rudy'' (1993), ''PCU (film), PCU'' (1994), ''Swingers (1996 film), Swingers'' (1996), ''Very ...
offered the part to Burr, believing his past criticism of the franchise would make his casting that much more amusing. Several reviewers have noted that Mayfeld's sardonic personality and hard-edged sense of humor are similar to Burr's real-life comedic style. Burr was extremely impressed with the filming of ''The Mandalorian'', complimenting the technical aspects of filming as well as the writing style of the series. The character of Mayfeld received a generally positive response from reviewers, with many complimenting Burr's performance and the humor the character brought to the series. Reviewers critical of Mayfeld felt the character was flat, underdeveloped, or too incompetent as a mercenary. Mayfeld received a more positive response for his appearance in second season episode " Chapter 15: The Believer", which explored his character in more depth. Burr received a significant amount of mock outrage from fans for a scene in " Chapter 6: The Prisoner", in which he dropped Grogu, the show's hugely popular
breakout character A breakout character is a character (arts), character in Serial (literature), serial fiction, especially a member of an ensemble cast, who becomes much more prominent, popular, discussed, or imitated than expected by the creators. A breakout c ...
.


Appearances


Backstory

Migs Mayfeld is a former
sharpshooter A sharpshooter is one who is highly proficient at firing firearms or other projectile weapons accurately. Military units composed of sharpshooters were important factors in 19th-century combat. Along with " marksman" and "expert", "sharpshooter" ...
from the
Galactic Empire Galactic empires are a science fiction setting trope, in which most or all of the habitable planets in the setting's galaxy are ruled by a single centralized political entity. Galactic empires most frequently appear in works in the sub-genre ...
, which has fallen out of power by the time that ''The Mandalorian'' is set. He uses two blaster pistols, as well as a third blaster controlled by a droid arm attached to his backpack, which he can extract and retract as necessary for additional firepower. The character's first name was not revealed until second season of ''The Mandalorian''.


Season 1

Mayfeld appears in the episode " Chapter 6: The Prisoner", in which he leads a crew of
mercenaries A mercenary is a private individual who joins an War, armed conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any other official military. Mercenaries fight for money or other forms of payment rath ...
in an attempt to rescue a prisoner from a New Republic prison transport ship. He is appointed by Ranzar "Ran" Malk, the leader of the mercenaries, as the
point man To take point, walk point, be on point, or be a point man is to assume the first and most exposed position in a combat military formation, that is, the leading soldier or unit advancing through hostile or unsecured territory. The term can be a ...
for the mission, Ran asserts that Mayfeld has the same level of authority on the mission as Ran himself would. with a crew that includes the show's protagonist, a
bounty hunter A bounty hunter is a private agent working for a bail bondsman who captures fugitives or criminals for a commission or bounty. The occupation, officially known as a bail enforcement agent or fugitive recovery agent, has traditionally operated ...
known as "
The Mandalorian ''The Mandalorian'' is an American space Western television series created by Jon Favreau for the streaming service Disney+. It is the first live-action series in the ''Star Wars'' franchise and begins five years after the events of the fil ...
", as well as fellow mercenaries Burg, Q9-0, and Xi'an. Unbeknownst to the Mandalorian, however, the rescue target is a Twi'lek alien named Qin, with whom the Mandalorian previously had a falling out, and the mercenaries intend to betray the Mandalorian once Qin is rescued. When the Mandalorian mockingly questions Mayfeld's abilities, alluding to the fact that former Imperial
stormtroopers Stormtrooper or storm trooper may refer to: Military *Stormtroopers (Imperial Germany), specialist soldier of the German Army in World War I *''Sturmabteilung'' (SA) or Storm Detachment, a paramilitary organization of the German Nazi Party * 8th I ...
were notoriously bad shots, Mayfeld defensively responds, "I wasn't a stormtrooper, wiseass." During the trip to the prison transport, Mayfeld repeatedly mocks the Mandalorian as well, urging him to remove his helmet, and suggesting he may be hiding his face because he is secretly a Gungan. At one point, the mercenary crew discovered
Grogu Din Grogu (), colloquially referred to as Baby Yoda, is a Character (arts), character from the ''Star Wars'' Disney+ original television series ''The Mandalorian'' and ''The Book of Boba Fett''. He is an infant member of the same List of Star Wa ...
, a young alien also known as "The Child", whom the Mandalorian was hiding within his ship, the ''Razor Crest''. Mayfeld questions whether Grogu is a pet, and further mocks the Mandalorian by pretending he is going to drop Grogu. When Q9-0 suddenly takes the ship out of
hyperspace In science fiction, hyperspace (also known as nulspace, subspace, overspace, jumpspace and similar terms) is a concept relating to higher dimensions as well as parallel universes and a faster-than-light (FTL) method of interstellar travel ...
without warning the crew, Mayfeld falls and does drop Grogu, but he is unharmed. Upon arrival at the prison transport, Mayfeld, Xi'an, Burg, and the Mandalorian enter the ship while Q9-0 disables onboard surveillance and transmits directions to them from the ''Razor Crest'' cockpit. After gunfights with several security droids, Mayfeld's party reached the transport's control room where they encounter a New Republican guard named Davan. Mayfeld wants to kill Davan, but the Mandalorian disagrees, and the two draw guns on each other as a result, leading to Xi'an killing Davan with a knife. The mercenaries reach a prison cell and release Qin, after which Mayfeld and the others trap the Mandalorian in the cell and try to abandon him there. After the Mandalorian escapes, he jams communication between Mayfeld's crew and Q9-0. Mayfeld and Qin become separated from Xi'an and Burg. While the latter duo attempts to find and kill the Mandalorian, Mayfeld and Qin decide to try to escape on their own; Qin promises he will triple Mayfeld's compensation if he gets Qin off the ship. After Mayfeld and Qin split up, the Mandalorian stalks Mayfeld, sneaking up on him in a hallway as the lights flicker on and off, and Mayfeld screams as the Mandalorian comes upon him. The Mandalorian did not kill Mayfeld, but instead locked him in a cell in the prison transport with Xi'an and Burg.


Season 2

Mayfeld is mentioned and pictured at the end of the episode " Chapter 14: The Tragedy". After Grogu's capture by
Moff Gideon Moff Gideon () is a fictional Character (arts), character in the Star Wars, ''Star Wars'' franchise who first appeared as the main antagonist in the Disney+ television series ''The Mandalorian''. Gideon is the leader of a remnant of the fallen G ...
's Imperial remnant, the Mandalorian decides to break out Mayfeld, who was arrested by the New Republic and sentenced to 50 years of service at the Karthon Chop Fields. To learn where he is being held, the Mandalorian visits his ally
Cara Dune Cara Dune is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, appearing in the first two seasons of the Disney+ television series ''The Mandalorian''. Portrayed by actress and former mixed martial artist Gina Carano, the character is a for ...
, who has become a
marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used fo ...
for the New Republic and has access to files on Mayfeld. In " Chapter 15: The Believer", Mayfeld (also called inmate 34667) is temporarily released from prison by Cara to assist the Mandalorian and his group by accessing the Empire's network in Morak, a secret Imperial mining hub, to learn the location of Gideon's ship. After successfully infiltrating the hub with the Mandalorian, Mayfeld becomes nervous and panicky when seeing his old commander Valin Hess, forcing the Mandalorian to retrieve the data by removing his helmet. However, when Hess questions him, Mayfeld intercedes, and when they reminisce about their participation in Operation Cinder in which thousands were killed, Mayfeld shoots Hess, initiating a violent escape during which the entire facility is destroyed. For his help in obtaining the data, Mayfeld is allowed to leave by Cara, who assures him that he will be declared dead.


Characterization

As a former Imperial sharpshooter, Mayfeld is good in a fight and is an excellent
marksman A marksman is a person who is skilled in precision shooting. In modern military usage this typically refers to the use of projectile weapons such as an accurized telescopic sight, scoped long gun such as designated marksman rifle (or a sniper ri ...
; the character Ran Malk refers to him "one of the best triggermen I've ever seen". He has a hard-edged sense of humor, which several reviewers compared to the real-life comedic style of
Bill Burr {{Infobox comedian , image = Bill Burr by Gage Skidmore.jpg , alt = , caption = Burr in 2018 , birth_name = William Frederic Burr , birth_date = {{birth date and age, 1968, 6, 10 , bi ...
, the actor and comedian who portrays the character. Mayfeld enjoys mocking others, and has a
bullying Bullying is the use of force, coercion, Suffering, hurtful teasing, comments, or threats, in order to abuse, aggression, aggressively wikt:domination, dominate, or intimidate one or more others. The behavior is often repeated and habitual. On ...
personality; a ''
Polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure made up of line segments connected to form a closed polygonal chain. The segments of a closed polygonal chain are called its '' edges'' or ''sides''. The points where two edges meet are the polygon ...
'' article by Charlie Hill described him as "the epitome of a schoolyard bully but with a murderous streak". He also speaks with Burr's same real-life
Boston accent A Boston accent is a local accent of Eastern New England English, native specifically to the city of Boston and its suburbs. Northeastern New England English is classified as traditionally including New Hampshire, Maine, and all of eastern Mass ...
. Mayfeld is arrogant, hot-headed, ruthless, unpredictable, and has a sardonic attitude. ''
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'' writer Scott Snowden described him as a
cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the ''vaquero'' ...
-like character. Mayfeld is also duplicitous and untrustworthy, as he shows by his willingness to betray the Mandalorian after their mission together. ''
Comic Book Resources ''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...
'' writer Sam Stone theorized that Mayfeld's cynicism and mean-spirited personality may be rooted in bitterness toward the Galactic Empire having lost its war with the
Rebel Alliance The Rebel Alliance (known formally Universe of Star Wars, in-universe as the Alliance to Restore the Republic) is an organization that features in the fictional world of the Star Wars, ''Star Wars'' franchise. The Alliance is portrayed as a state ...
, thus reducing Mayfeld's role to that of an outlaw. Stone wrote that Mayfeld appears "visibly frustrated by his time fighting for the losing side of the
Galactic Civil War The Galactic Empire, also known simply as the Empire, is a fictional autocracy featured in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Introduced in the 1977 film ''Star Wars,'' it is the main antagonistic faction of the original trilogy, which also includes ...
before taking his talents to less-than-legal clients".


Concept and creation


Portrayal

Mayfeld is portrayed by actor and comedian
Bill Burr {{Infobox comedian , image = Bill Burr by Gage Skidmore.jpg , alt = , caption = Burr in 2018 , birth_name = William Frederic Burr , birth_date = {{birth date and age, 1968, 6, 10 , bi ...
. Burr was not a fan of the ''Star Wars'' franchise, which he had repeatedly and publicly mocked in the past, as well as ''
Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy Drama (film and television), drama television series created by David Benioff and for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of high fantasy novels by ...
'' and several other popular
science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
and
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...
franchises. In a 2015 interview with
Conan O'Brien Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an American television host, comedian, writer, actor, and producer. He is best known for having hosted Late-night talk show, late-night talk shows, beginning with ''Late Night with Conan O'B ...
, Burr described the original ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' film as a "cheesy self-help book put in outer space with, like, Muppets". Burr also regularly mocked ''Star Wars'' fans, particularly during the release of new films, saying things like: "How old are you? Why are you still dressing like
Boba Fett Boba Fett ( ) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. First appearing in the '' Star Wars Holiday Special'' (1978), where he was voiced by Don Francks, he is an armored bounty hunter featured in both the original and prequel ...
?" Burr met
Jon Favreau Jonathan Kolia Favreau ( ; born October 19, 1966) is an American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, Favreau has appeared in films such as ''Rudy (film), Rudy'' (1993), ''PCU (film), PCU'' (1994), ''Swingers (1996 film), Swingers'' (1996), ''Very ...
, the creator and
showrunner A showrunner is the top-level executive producer of a television series. The position outranks other creative and management personnel, including episode directors, in contrast to feature films, in which the director has creative control over th ...
of ''
The Mandalorian ''The Mandalorian'' is an American space Western television series created by Jon Favreau for the streaming service Disney+. It is the first live-action series in the ''Star Wars'' franchise and begins five years after the events of the fil ...
'', through their mutual friend
Mike Binder Mike Binder (born June 2, 1958) is an American filmmaker, stand-up comedian, and actor. Life and career Binder, descended from Russian-Jewish immigrants, grew up in the Detroit suburb of Birmingham. During the summers of 1966 through 1975, he a ...
, who had directed Burr's
stand-up comedy Stand-up comedy is a performance directed to a live audience, where the performer stands on a stage (theatre), stage and delivers humour, humorous and satire, satirical monologues sometimes incorporating physical comedy, physical acts. These ...
film ''
Paper Tiger "Paper tiger" is a calque of the Chinese phrase ''zhǐlǎohǔ'' ( zh, s=纸老虎, t=紙老虎). The term refers to something or someone that claims or appears to be powerful or threatening but is actually ineffectual and unable to withstand ch ...
'' (2019). Burr was also acquainted with Favreau through actor
Vince Vaughn Vincent Anthony Vaughn (born March 28, 1970) is an American actor. He is known for starring as a leading man in numerous comedy films during the late 1990s and 2000s. He was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Awards, Screen Actors Guild Award ...
, who starred along with Favreau in the film '' Swingers'' (1996) and was an executive producer of Burr's
animated sitcom An animated sitcom is a subgenre of a television sitcom that is animation, animated instead of being filmed live-action, and is generally made or created for adult animation, adult audiences in most cases. ''The Simpsons'', ''SpongeBob SquarePan ...
''
F Is for Family ''F Is for Family'' is an adult animated sitcom created by Bill Burr and Michael Price for Netflix. It was produced by Vince Vaughn's Wild West Television, King of France Productions, Loner Productions, Gaumont Television USA and Gaumont Anima ...
''. Additionally, Favreau was a listener of Burr's comedy podcast, '' Monday Morning Podcast'', and Burr appeared on ''
The Chef Show ''The Chef Show'' is an American television cooking show presented by Jon Favreau and Roy Choi that premiered on Netflix on June 7, 2019. Its creation was inspired by Favreau's training under the tutelage of Choi in preparation for the 2014 film ...
'', a
cooking show A cooking show, cookery show, or cooking program (also spelled cooking programme in British English) is a television genre that presents food preparation, often in a restaurant kitchen or on a Television studio, studio set, or at the host's p ...
Favreau created. Favreau approached Burr at a birthday party to discuss a role on ''The Mandalorian'' he felt would be a good fit for Burr. Burr pointed out his previous mockery of ''Star Wars'' and suggested he give the role to someone more appropriate, but Favreau felt it would be funny if Burr played the role given his lack of enthusiasm for the franchise, and he believed Burr's fans would find it amusing. Burr's wife, Nia Hill, urged him to accept the part, which he ultimately did, although Burr said he would have accepted any offer by Favreau based on his respect for the director. Burr's casting on ''The Mandalorian'' was first revealed at the ''Star Wars'' Celebration fan convention in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
on April 14, 2019, when he was briefly seen in a teaser trailer during a panel discussion about the series. The footage was only intended to be viewed by Celebration attendants, but photos and videos of Burr's footage taken by fans later leaked to the Internet. Jake Kleinman of ''
Inverse Inverse or invert may refer to: Science and mathematics * Inverse (logic), a type of conditional sentence which is an immediate inference made from another conditional sentence * Additive inverse, the inverse of a number that, when added to the ...
'' wrote: "Early footage from ''The Mandalorian'' didn't reveal much except that he sounds like a total badass." Burr himself first confirmed his appearance on the series via the social media network
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
on August 24, 2019. According to '' Metro Boston'' writer Matt Juul, "fans of the franchise were both excited and a bit skeptical" when the casting was announced, due to Burr's past criticism of the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Mayfeld was featured briefly on the first official trailer for ''The Mandalorian'', released on August 23, 2019; Burr said "you see the back of my bald head for half a second". Mayfeld's face became visible in his brief appearance in the second ''Mandalorian'' trailer, released on October 28, 2019, with the character firing his weapons at an off-screen enemy. Several fans expressed excitement about Burr's character on social media after the trailer's release, with some saying he was the primary reason they would be watching the show. Burr is one of several comedians with brief acting roles in the first season of ''The Mandalorian'', including
Brian Posehn Brian Posehn (; born July 6, 1966) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, voice actor, musician, and writer. After numerous appearances as a television guest star, Posehn acquired his first major recurring role in HBO's '' Mr. Show with Bob a ...
,
Horatio Sanz Horacio Sanz (born June 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Horatio Sanz, is an American comedian and actor. Sanz was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1998 to 2006. Early life Sanz was born on Ju ...
,
Amy Sedaris Amy Louise Sedaris (; born March 29, 1961) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She played Jerri Blank in the Comedy Central comedy series '' Strangers with Candy'' (1999–2000) and the prequel film '' Strangers with Candy'' (2005), wh ...
,
Richard Ayoade Richard Ayoade ( ; born 23 May 1977) is a British comedian, actor, writer, director and presenter. He played the role of socially awkward IT technician Maurice Moss in Channel 4 sitcom ''The IT Crowd'' (2006–2013), for which he won the 2014 Br ...
,
Adam Pally Adam Saul Pally (born March 18, 1982) is an American comedian and actor. He first earned recognition for starring as Max Blum in '' Happy Endings'', as Dr. Peter Prentice in ''The Mindy Project'', as Wade Whipple in ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' (202 ...
, and
Jason Sudeikis Daniel Jason Sudeikis ( ; born September 18, 1975) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. In the 1990s, he began his career in improv comedy and performed with ComedySportz, iO Chicago (Improv Olympic), and The Second City. I ...
. Nick Mangione of '' Geek.com'' jokingly wrote: "Is this series just an excuse for Jon Favreau to get all his favorite comedians into the ''Star Wars'' universe?"


Filming

Several of Burr's scenes for ''The Mandalorian'' were filmed on a
sound stage A sound stage (also written soundstage) is a large, soundproof structure, building or room with large doors and high ceilings, used for the production of theatrical film-making and television productions, usually located on a secured movie or te ...
in
Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...
on a "Volume", a large warehouse-like motion-capture stage with LED video screens and tracking cameras spread throughout the space. Using a combination of physical set pieces and images projected onto the screens, the Volume allows the actors to be filmed and placed into a digital environment. Burr's scenes on Ran Malk's space station were among the scenes filmed on the Volume. Burr described the filming technology as "next-level", and said the moving background imagery occasionally made him feel dizzy, or as if he was experiencing
vertigo Vertigo is a condition in which a person has the sensation that they are moving, or that objects around them are moving, when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. It may be associated with nausea, vomiting, perspira ...
. During filming, Burr was only provided the scripts for the portions of the episode in which he was specifically featured. Burr called filming ''The Mandalorian'' an "amazing experience" and said the way it was shot was "really, really fun". He was also particularly impressed by the director of the episode,
Rick Famuyiwa Rick Famuyiwa (born June 18, 1973) is a Nigerian-American filmmaker and television director. He is best known for the films ''The Wood'' (1999), ''Brown Sugar'' (2002), and '' Dope'' (2015), as well as for his work on the television series ''The ...
, who he said "crushed it". Burr believed ''The Mandalorian'' more closely resembled a
Spaghetti Western The spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's filmmaking style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...
than a traditional work of science fiction, saying: "This isn't your dad's ''Star Wars''". On Burr's last filming day, Jon Favreau invited him to see the newly-complete trailer for ''The Mandalorian'', which very much impressed Burr.


Reception

Immediately after "Chapter 6: The Prisoner" was made available on Disney+, multiple fans were discussing and praising Mayfeld and Burr's performance on social media outlets, particularly on Twitter. Armaan Babu of ''MEA WorldWide'' wrote: "Twitter was all abuzz with Bill Burr's performance as the fast-talking mercenary". The character of Mayfeld received a generally positive response from reviewers, with many complimenting Burr's performance. Sam Stone of ''Comic Book Resources'' called Mayfeld a "fan-favorite" and a "memorable character", praising Burr's "irascible performance". ''
Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and comic books. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publications including Comic Book Resources, Collider, MovieWeb and XDA Developers. ...
'' writer Kevin Pantoja called Mayfeld "arguably the highlight" of his episode, a fun character who infused some comedy into the series. He also praised the performance of Burr, who he described as "always entertaining", and said he would like to see more of Mayfeld on ''The Mandalorian'' in the future. Dan Brooks, a writer with ''The Mandalorian'' production company
Lucasfilm Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC is an American film and television production company founded by filmmaker George Lucas in December 10, 1971 in San Rafael, California, and later moved to San Francisco in 2005. It is best known for creating and producing th ...
, felt Burr delivered a "great performance" as Mayfeld, saying he infused the character with a "unpredictable schoolyard-bully air". ''Screen Rant'' writer Ben Sherlock called Mayfeld an interesting
antihero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero or two words anti hero) or anti-heroine is a character in a narrative (in literature, film, TV, etc.) who may lack some conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism and morality. Al ...
and a "character to remember", saying he was portrayed "brilliantly" by Burr. ''
Looper Looper may refer to: Animals * Cabbage looper (''Trichoplusia ni''), a member of the moth family Noctuidae * Inchworm, of the insect order Lepidoptera, the moths and butterflies People * Looper (surname), a Dutch-language surname with the meani ...
'' writer Brian Boone said Burr and his "acerbic, motor-mouthed stand-up" was a perfect fit for Mayfeld. ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' writer Will Thorne wrote that Burr "brought a much-needed injection of spunk and peril to the series". Armaan Babu said Mayfeld maintained Burr's comedic stylings and wrote: "However brief, Bill Burr's appearance left everyone smiling." Sarah Moran of ''Screen Rant'' said the fact that Burr is not a ''Star Wars'' fan in real-life "only makes his role on ''The Mandalorian'' all the funnier". ''
Fatherly Fatherly is a digital lifestyle brand that provides news, expert advice, product recommendations and other resources for parents. The company was founded in 2015 and is based in New York City. Overview Fatherly offers articles, videos, and othe ...
'' writer Ryan Britt said Mayfeld had the best jokes of the episode, made all the more amusing because, as a non-''Star Wars'' fan, Britt said that Burr probably did not even understand the jokes himself. ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' writer
Anthony Breznican Anthony Breznican (born 1976) is an American journalist and novelist who currently writes for '' Vanity Fair''. He is the author of the 2014 novel ''Brutal Youth'', about first-year students dealing with bullying at their Catholic high school. Br ...
, referring to Burr's roots in the Boston area, said the actor brought "not just the distinctive voice of his hometown to the screen, but also the general Masshole attitude" to the part of Mayfeld. ''Comicbook.com'' writer Charlie Ridgely said Mayfeld had several great jokes throughout his episode. ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'' writer Dani Di Placido described Mayfeld as Burr essentially "playing a ''Star Wars'' version of himself". Not all reviews were positive. ''
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'' writer Joe Skrebels called Mayfeld a "pretty flat villainous leader". Tom Foster of ''
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'' called Burr a "skilled actor", but felt Mayfeld was an underdeveloped character and that the dialogue in the screenplay was too quick and vague. '' IndieWire'' writer Tyler Hersko said Burr is funny and talented, but that "the episode's writing unfortunately gives him little to work with, and that Mayfeld does little more than insult the Mandalorian for his entire running time. Megan Crouse ''
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'' wrote that Mayfeld and the other characters in his crew "didn't work for me because I didn't believe in them as mercenaries. They're so hapless." Several reviewers wrote that the entire mercenary crew, including Mayfeld, was generally incompetent and unintelligent throughout the episode. ''
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'' writer Renaldo Matadeen called them the "dumbest" criminals in the ''Star Wars'' universe, with "a low IQ and no sense of tactics or strategy, leaving us wondering how they got this far in the first place". Nick Mangione of ''Geek.com'' wrote "The first hint that this won't be just a standard heist storyline is that all these people suck. They are all the worst. As soon as the crew is introduced you never want to see any of them again." Mayfeld was ranked eighth on a ''Screen Rant'' list of the 10 most interesting characters from the first season of ''The Mandalorian''. He also ranked ninth on a separate ''Screen Rant'' list of the 10 best characters introduced on the show, and fourth on a list of "10 Characters We Hope To See Return In Season 2". Additionally, his costume and backpack with the retractable blaster arm ranked ninth on ''Screen Rant''s list of the ten best costumes in the show's first season. Mayfeld was also included on a list by ''
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'' of the 15 best cameo appearances on ''The Mandalorian'', and ranked tenth on a list by the ''
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'' of the best "scene partners" for the Child. Burr said he got a "great response" from his fans in response to his portrayal of Mayfeld. Despite his past mockery of ''Star Wars'', Burr said he is a fan of ''The Mandalorian'' and has watched the episodes even without his character featured, saying: "The way they're doing this one, it's awesome". Burr received a significant amount of mock outrage from fans of ''The Mandalorian'' for a scene in which Mayfeld dropped the Child, the show's hugely popular
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colloquially known as "Baby Yoda". Jackson McHenry of ''Vulture'' wrote: "My man dropped Baby Yoda, and we cannot stand for that." Burr said fans were "breaking my balls" about the scene on Twitter, and he jokingly responded to the issue on his podcast, ''Monday Morning Podcast'':


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* * {{Star Wars universe Fictional gunfighters in television Fictional marksmen and snipers Fictional mercenaries Fictional military personnel in television Fictional murderers Male characters in television Male villains The Mandalorian characters Television characters introduced in 2019 Western (genre) outlaws