Not even a worldwide pandemic can slow down The Mandalorian.

In a report on Variety, series creator/executive producer Jon Favreau notes that, while other productions have slowed to a crawl under increased security and health protocols (with a number being canceled outright due to the added complexities), the firs-evert live-action Star Wars series keeps on truckin’. In fact, season 3 of The Mandalorian is “on schedule” to begin filming “before the end of the year” (season 2, as we all know, is getting a plumb, pre-Halloween release of October 30 on Disney+).

“We’re operating under the assumption that we’ll be able to go forward,” Favreau explained to Variety. Shooting should commence once star Pedro Pascal, the man in the iconic mask (most of the time, at least), returns from Europe, where he’s working on the gonzo Nicolas Cage project The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.

““We’re in very small situations and oftentimes we have a lot of characters in masks,” Favreau told Variety, referring not only to the title character but the assortment of Stormtroopers and intergalactic creatures that are brought to life via prosthetics or animatronic-enhanced masks. “And we also have a lot of digital work that augments things. So we’re a show that’s probably well-equipped to be flexible based on the protocols that are emerging surrounding work restarting.” And if you’ve watched the behind-the-scenes documentary series on the production of the series (also on Disney+), you know that the show is unique in its relatively small cast and crew, with an emphasis on sets that are comprised of a small number of physical objects, augmented by a large, seamless, wraparound screen. If ever there was a production that could weather a pandemic in style, it’s The Mandalorian.

The Mandalorian season 2 premieres on Disney+ on October 30. This is the way.