Credit: LucasfilmAs the release date for the upcoming Disney+ Ahsoka show inches closer, its leading lady, Rosario Dawson, already has her sights set on the future—specifically, with another Dave Filoni-helmed Star Wars project.
After making her live-action debut in Season 2 of The Mandalorian, Rosario Dawson’s portrayal of ex-Jedi Ahsoka Tano was almost immediately met with praise from fans eager to see more of the beloved character.
First introduced in the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars series as the padawan of Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka’s arrival in live-action Star Wars was over a decade in the making, and now, it looks like she has no intention of slowing down anytime soon.
Dawson will soon return to the galaxy far, far away in August to once again play the eponymous hero in the Disney+ Ahsoka show, written and directed by The Clone Wars and The Mandalorian alum Dave Filoni. She’ll be joined by an impressive cast from the likes of Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Natasha Liu Bordizzo, who will play Ghost pilot Hera Syndulla and Mandalorian Sabine Wren, respectively.
But Hera and Sabine, who were both introduced in the Star Wars Rebels cartoon, aren’t the only ones making the jump to live-action. The nefarious Grand Admiral Thrawn will also make his long-awaited debut in Ahsoka, where he’ll be played by his Rebels voice actor, Lars Mikkelsen. Ivanna Sakhno and the late Ray Stevenson will round out the cast as mysterious Darksiders Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati.
Check out the official teaser trailer for Ahsoka below:
Bringing an animated character into live-action is no easy feat, meaning Lucasfilm almost definitely has some serious intentions for Ahsoka Tano moving forward—something Rosario Dawson couldn’t be more thrilled about.
Speaking with GamesRadar in a recent interview as press begins for Ahsoka, Dawson had some high praise for showrunner Dave Filoni, gushing over their time working together on various Star Wars projects. She also mentioned how “proud” she was of Filoni following news of his epic “Mando-Verse” crossover movie, which was announced at this year’s Star Wars Celebration Europe:
I really marvel at Dave’s journey, and I’m so happy for him and proud of him… I’ve loved him as a fan, and now, having had the chance to be on set with him daily and work with him, and pick his brain, and him being my own personal encyclopedia for everything Star Wars and beyond – it’s just been a marvel.
Of course, while she didn’t explicitly mention the upcoming movie, Dawson is almost certainly alluding to Filoni’s “Mando-Verse” crossover event, which will see Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin and other characters from The Mandalorian joining forces with Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison), Dawson’s Ahsoka, and the cast of the upcoming Disney+ Skeleton Crew show.
While story details remain scarce, it’s safe to assume that each Disney+ show underneath the “Mando-Verse” umbrella will all lead to the crossover film, though any casting announcements have yet to be made.
Still, Dawson implied that she’ll be happy to go along for the ride on any Filoni-directed Star Wars projects, calling the filmmaker “one of the greatest [she’s] ever worked with in this medium and in this space:”
I think he’s one of the greatest I’ve ever worked with in this medium and in this space… And I hope that he continues to bring Ahsoka along. Because he’s been very loyal to her over the years, and she to him. That’s not going away anytime soon. So any kind of way and iteration that I can keep working with Dave, and being inspired by him, and challenging him when I can – it would be awesome.
There’s no arguing that Filoni and Dawson make a good team. So far, even though we’ve only briefly seen Ahsoka in live-action in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, her appearances have certainly made a splash, and it’ll be exciting to see if this powerhouse duo can keep up the momentum in Ahsoka.
As for the “Mando-Verse” crossover event, which is tentatively scheduled to arrive sometime in 2026 or 2027, it’s highly doubtful that Filoni would pen a script not involving Ahsoka. She is Filoni’s self-insert character, after all, and it would be difficult to imagine a “Mando-Verse” story that doesn’t somehow tie into Ahsoka’s relationship with Mando, Grogu, Thrawn, and the remnants of the Jedi Order.
It’s also clear that Dawson doesn’t have any intentions of stepping away from the role anytime soon. Last year, the actress told Vanity Fair she’ll play Ahsoka “As long as they want me, and as long as it’s possible.”
It’s a relief that Dawson is up to the challenge, as the fun is just getting started for live-action Ahsoka. For now, fans don’t have to wait much longer to be reunited with Ahsoka, Thrawn, and the Ghost crew as her Disney+ spinoff series debuts in just a matter of weeks on August 21, 2023.
What do you think the future holds for Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka Tano? Are you excited for the new show? Let us know in the comments below.