Werner Herzog is often viewed as one of the most brilliant, yet demanding filmmakers in the industry. And now, it appears that Star Wars fans may owe the German director a huge debt of gratitude.

Disney+’s The Mandalorian has recently been winning all sorts of praise from fans and critics, and one of the most beloved components of Jon Favreau’s live-action Star Wars show is The Child, aka Baby Yoda.

According to a new Vanity Fair report, Herzog actually stepped in to shoot down Favreau and executive producer Dave Filoni’s idea to replace the practical effects-based Baby Yoda with a CGI version.

In addition to making movies and documentaries for over 50 years, the 77-year-old Werner Herzog has also dabbled in acting. Upon shooting his role in The Mandalorian, Herzog fell in love with the Baby Yoda creature to the point that he derided Favreau and Miloni as "cowards" at the mere suggestion that they could utilise a CGI version of the infant Jedi Master.

The Mandalorian director Deborah Chow – who is also due to direct Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi series – went one further and explained how Werner would talk to the Baby Yoda puppet as if it was a real, living being.