Ahsoka is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing productions on Lucasfilm and Disney+’s slate of Star Wars shows. The Mandalorian spinoff will see Rosario Dawson reprise her role as the titular Jedi, though plot details are being kept tightly under wraps. Rumors and reports from the trades hint that the series is going to be heavily influenced by the animated series Star Wars Rebels from a storytelling perspective. And that indeed seems to be the case now, as the studio has announced that Rebels character Sabine Wren has been cast for and that other familiar faces from the show will appear.
During Star Wars Celebration’s Mandalorian panel (where CinemaBlend staff is present), fans were treated to some key updates on the live-action TV franchise that’s been spearheaded by Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni. The event also included a small teaser for Ahsoka, which kicked off filming a few weeks ago. It was around this time that actress Natasha Liu Bordizzo stepped out and was officially confirmed to be playing the live-action version of Mandalore native Sabine Wren. While Bordizzo was previously linked to the recast role, it’s great to have the casting officially confirmed by the powers that be.
And if that weren’t enough, the footage not only showed Sabine but also a live-action Hera Syndulla. Apparently, Hera was only seen from the back, so it’s unclear as to who will play her on the show. Another character did make his presence known during the event, though. Chopper, the lovable little droid from Rebels, rolled on stage and was confirmed to be popping into the upcoming series as well.
Hera’s inclusion is particularly intriguing as, last year, the character was rumored to be coming into the live-action Star Wars TV fold via the now-scrapped Rangers of the New Republic. Reports suggested that the character would replace Gina Carano’s Cara Dune as the lead on that series. One has to wonder if the show could find new life if this version of Syndulla proves to be a hit with fans.
In 2021, it was also rumored that Ahsoka was looking to cast an actor to play Rebels’ Ezra Bridger, with Aladdin’s Mena Massoud allegedly being tapped to play the Jedi. Lars Mikkelsen was said to be reprising his role as Thrawn from that show. These are far from confirmed right now though, based on the fact that the two characters disappeared together at the end of the animated series and the Imperial admiral was mentioned by Tano during The Mandalorian, the chances of them showing up seem solid.
The only other primary (and living) character from the Disney XD series that’s yet to be teased in any way is Ghost crew member Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios. The grumpy, but loyal, Lasat was a key part of the show, and I could definitely see him being brought back in some capacity.
It’s simply amazing to see that Dave Filoni, who is a co-creator on both Rebels and Ahsoka, is looking to link the two shows together. It’s hard not to get the feeling that he’s planning something big that could satisfy longtime fans of the animated show. I, for one, can’t wait to revisit these characters and see how they've changed.
Ahsoka is set to stream sometime in 2023, so be sure you have a Disney+ subscription so that you can check it out. You may also want to use that same subscription to check out Star Wars Rebels ahead of the upcoming show’s debut.
More to come...
