Chris Saunders celebrating Star Wars Day by dressing up as the Mandalorian, alongside Grogu, and taking a trip on the Tyne and Wear Metro network(Image: Nexus)

Star Wars Day on the Tyne and Wear Metro as content creator wows passengers with costume

by · ChronicleLive

Star Wars Day was marked on the Tyne and Wear Metro today, with a content creator wowing passengers with his costume. Chris Saunders, of North Tyneside, celebrated May the fourth by dressing as the Mandalorian and travelling on the Nexus transport network.

Coming up with the idea after his kids said the red and green indicator lights on the train doors reminded them of lightsabers, the 44-year-old put on his body armour and helmet, and even brought the lovable Grogu, otherwise known as 'Baby Yoda', along with him.

He filmed the experience for his popular Star Wars‑themed TikTok account, @screenandbeyond, which has almost 300,000 followers. May 4th is celebrated worldwide by fans of the sci-fi franchise, and this comes from the famous line "may the fourth be with you".

Chris said: "The new Metro trains aren’t quite from a galaxy far far away, but they are out of this world, so I just had to feature them for Star Wars Day this year. The idea came to me after both of my daughters noticed that the indicator lights at each set of the train doors look a little bit like the lightsabers from the Star Wars universe.

"After that I just thought why not bring Star Wars Day to the Metro by taking a ride in my Mandalorian suit, which everyone always says looks pretty amazing. A huge thank you to Nexus for allowing me to get on the new trains in the Mandalorian armour.

"The passengers loved it and quite a few were asking for photos. Star Wars has fans off all generations, and it was great to see so many delighted people both young and old smile and have fun with it. Star Wars is for Everyone, and the main message was simple – ‘May the Fourth be with you'.

"It’s a big day for Star Wars fans all over the world, and it’s always a trending topic on social media. We love to celebrate the day as the franchise continues to evolve and become even more successful than it already is, ever since the first film came out in 1977."

The Mandalorian costume is visually striking and bespoke, made using a 3D printer and carefully painted by Chris himself. Fans across the world are also gearing up for the latest film in the franchise, The Mandalorian and Grogu, which its UK cinemas on May 22.

Lynne Dickinson, Station Delivery Manager at Nexus, said: "It was amazing to welcome Chris on board for Star Wars Day. The sight of the Mandalorian travelling around the system certainly didn’t go unnoticed - it’s safe to say that it’s not something we see every day.

"It brought a real sense of fun for our customers and our own teams. The new trains feature cutting‑edge technology, and it’s easy to see why Star Wars fans have drawn comparisons between the door lighting and lightsabers."

Continue below to see photographs of Chris in his Mandalorian outfit, and try and spot where on the Metro network he visited.

Chris Saunders celebrating Star Wars Day by dressing up as the Mandalorian, alongside Grogu, and taking a trip on the Tyne and Wear Metro network(Image: Nexus)
Chris Saunders celebrating Star Wars Day by dressing up as the Mandalorian, alongside Grogu, and taking a trip on the Tyne and Wear Metro network(Image: Nexus)
Chris Saunders celebrating Star Wars Day by dressing up as the Mandalorian, alongside Grogu, and taking a trip on the Tyne and Wear Metro network(Image: Nexus)
Chris Saunders celebrating Star Wars Day by dressing up as the Mandalorian, alongside Grogu, and taking a trip on the Tyne and Wear Metro network(Image: Nexus)
Chris Saunders celebrating Star Wars Day by dressing up as the Mandalorian, alongside Grogu, and taking a trip on the Tyne and Wear Metro network(Image: Nexus)
Chris Saunders celebrating Star Wars Day by dressing up as the Mandalorian, alongside Grogu, and taking a trip on the Tyne and Wear Metro network(Image: Nexus)