Favreau & Filoni at Odds, “Back and Forth” About Ahsoka and Grogu

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ahsoka tano (left) with grogu (right)

Credit: Lucasfilm

When The Mandalorian Season 2, Episode 5 (“Chapter 13: The Jedi”) premiered, fans of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels were granted two huge reveals thanks to director Dave Filoni.

dave filoni (left) and rosario dawson as ahsoka tano (right) on mandalorian set
Credit: Lucasfilm

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First, Rosario Dawson made her live-action debut as Ahsoka Tano. Anakin Skywalker’s former Padawan joined forces with an unlikely ally, Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) to defeat Corvus Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto).

As Djarin said, “A Mandalorian and a Jedi, they’ll never see it coming” — and they didn’t.

Ahsoka Tano interrogating the magistrate
Credit: Lucasfilm

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During her battle with Elsbeth, a second major animated character was introduced into the live-action canon. The Togruta successfully defeated Elsbeth, but not before learning that Rebels’ blue-skinned villain, Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen), was behind all of the Magistrate’s ministrations on Corvus.

ahsoka tano played by rosario dawson in the latest mandalorian episode
Credit: Lucasfilm

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Although Djarin tried to leave his tiny foundling, Grogu (AKA “Baby Yoda”) with Tano to train, she refused, and, ultimately, the little Force-sensitive being ended up in the care of Star Wars icon, Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker.

Then, in Filoni’s “fever dream” episode of The Book of Boba Fett“Chapter 6: From the Desert Comes a Stranger” — Tano returned, this time convincing Djarin that seeing Grogu would do more harm than good for the fledgling Jedi.

ahsoka tano (left) and luke skywalker (right) in the book of boba fett episode 6
Credit: Lucasfilm

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She also interacted with her former Jedi Master’s son, young Skywalker (CGI Mark Hamill/Graham Hamilton) for the first time in the existing Star Wars canon, and delivered Djarin’s beskar chainmail gift to tiny Grogu.

Now, Filoni has admitted that he and Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau have been at odds over Tano’s “Mando-Verse” story. In the new book, “The Art of The Mandalorian: Season 2,” Filoni shared:

“There were a lot of debates about [Ahsoka Tano pointing the way to Luke Skywalker]. And Jon and I went back and forth, because if [Ahsoka can’t take Grogu], then who will?”

“Taking care of the Child is not her destiny. That’s not what I’ve been planning for her to do [laughs], so I can’t change it up.”

(l to r) jon favreau, dave filoni, and george lucas
Credit: Lucasfilm

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Filoni went on to share part of his vision for Tano’s future in The Mandalorian saga:

“But it is interesting if Ahsoka’s there along the way, not as somebody who takes this burden away from Mando but as somebody to say, ‘You might be forgetting that this kid has a choice too. It’s not just about you and your oath to your covert.'”

ahsoka tano in the book of boba fett episode 6
Credit: Lucasfilm

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Fans can next expect to saw Dawson in either The Mandalorian Season 3 — reportedly debuting in December 2022 — or her spinoff series, Ahsoka. The latter will presumably see its title character enter the World Between Worlds on her quest to find Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) and fellow Jedi Ezra Bridger (Mena Massoud).

clone wars spinoff ahsoka sabine
Credit: Lucasfilm

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Rebels character Sabine Wren will also make her live-action debut in the upcoming spinoff series, with Natashia Liu-Bordizzo replacing voice actress Tiya Sircar in spite of some fans’ online protests.

What do you think about Favreau & Filoni being at odds over Ahsoka Tano’s Star Wars future?

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