Over the weekend, those hoping to get a new look at the upcoming Star Wars spinoff, Ahsoka, were left disappointed after Disney’s virtual showcase at the ESSENCE Fest Primetime passed without a glimpse at Rosario Dawson’s character. And now, internet sleuths think they may have found the reason why—and what, or rather, who is to blame might surprise you.
Dave Filoni’s long-awaited Ahsoka show is gearing up for its premiere on Disney+ next month, and promises longtime Star Wars fans an unforgettable adventure into sides of the galaxy both new and old. Dawson will be reprising her role as the titular ex-Jedi as she sets out on what could be her most dangerous mission yet: tracking down her missing friend, Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfani).
Ahsoka Tano has already appeared in live-action thanks to brief cameos in Disney+’s The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, but the new series will also introduce beloved characters from the animated Star Wars Rebels to the “Mando-Verse,” including Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) and Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead).
The cast will be rounded out by The Mandalorian alum Diana Lee Inosanto, Ivanna Sakhno, the late Ray Stevenson, and perhaps most importantly, Lars Mikkelsen, who will bring the menacing Grand Admiral Thrawn to life in live-action.
But even though the Ahsoka release date is quickly approaching, there’s still one thing missing: a full-length trailer. While Lucasfilm did share a teaser trailer for the new show, we haven’t received any additional content aside from a handful of promotional images and cast interviews in recent months.
At last, it seemed like fans could finally look forward to a new trailer when Disney announced last month that a “Special Look” at Lucasfilm’s upcoming Disney+ series, Ahsoka, was slated to debut at ESSENCE Fest Primetime during Disney’s virtual showcase on Saturday, July 1. But as fans eagerly anticipated the release of the new footage, time ticked on, and still—nothing.
Ultimately, Star Wars fans were left empty handed, leading many to wonder: what happened to this rumored Ahsoka trailer?
Many took to social media to speculate over Lucasfilm’s decision to withhold the footage, with some coming to the conclusion that the footage was postponed due to issues that arose on Twitter that same day. Without warning, thousands of Twitter users encountered a “rate limit exceeded” message when scrolling on the app, which was reportedly a test set forth by its controversial owner, tech juggernaut Elon Musk.
Later that day, Musk explained that he had implemented temporary limits to users, which saw non-verified accounts limited to viewing just six hundred tweets a day, while paid Twitter Blue subscribers were able to view six thousand. Since then, both Blue subscribers and non-subscribers have had their view rates raised, but Musk and team Twitter have yet to confirm if the limits have been lifted, or if they will be at all.
Now, credited Star Wars insiders The Bespin Bulletin and MakingStarWars have reported that the release of the “special look” was delayed due to Twitter fiasco over the weekend, which likely caused Disney and Lucasfilm to alter their release plans. There’s still no word on when we can expect this yet-unseen footage, though hopefully promotion will ramp up for this upcoming series later this month with an official trailer.
As for Disney, it looks like both their Marvel and Star Wars camps have had enough of Elon Musk’s highly-divisive handling of the social media app, and might be ditching it altogether in favor of transitioning to Meta’s Twitter competitor, Threads, which launched on Wednesday. The new platform is already being deemed the “Twitter Killer,” offering users the same text-based, conversational interface while allowing them to seamlessly link their Instagram username and followers to their account.
Of course, it’s not 100% confirmed that Disney’s “beef” with Twitter over the postponed Ahsoka footage is the reason why Marvel and Star Wars are now moving over to Threads, but it wouldn’t be surprising. Disney isn’t the first company to ditch Twitter in the aftermath of Elon Musk’s buyout, but considering they’re two of the most successful entertainment brands in the world, their decision to join Threads is certainly making a statement.
Hopefully, fans will get to see a new glimpse at the Disney+ Ahsoka series soon after being left hanging over the weekend. With its premiere episode being just eight weeks away, it’s time for Lucasfilm to start kicking off their marketing campaigns, and a trailer—or a sizzle reel, at least—is a surefire way to get audiences excited for what’s to come.
What do you think of Lucasfilm ghosting this Ahsoka footage amid Disney’s squabble with Twitter? Let us know in the comments below.