Star Wars: Ahsoka Star Reveals Why They Avoided Finishing Rebels

Star Wars: Ahsoka was released this year and featured the live-action debut of many fan-favorite animated characters from the Star Wars universe. Rosario Dawson first played Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars: The Mandalorian, but Ahsoka saw the live-action debut of Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi), and more characters from Star Wars Rebels. When Esfandi finally showed up in the series, fans had nothing but praise for the actor. Esfandi did a great job of embodying the older version of Ezra, so it might surprise you to learn that the actor didn’t watch all of Star Wars Rebels. 

“I admittedly – which, if you would have found this out prior you might have taken my head off, but maybe now you don’t think that – I didn’t watch all of Rebels,” Esfandi shared at an Ahsoka panel during L.A. Comic-Con (via The Direct). “I didn’t want to get too caught up in the younger version of Ezra. I felt very connected to an older version the way he was written.”

“And I watched the episodes where [Ezra] had scenes very intimately with like Sabine and the Spectre crew and Ahsoka in particular,” Esfandi explained. “And just to understand that dynamic. Obviously, the hologram message, and also my TikTok became flooded with the scene–rest in peace Kanan. So I was inundated with a lot of it.”

“But I didn’t watch it until after the show,” he added. “Because Dave [Filoni], and everyone else who was directing me were so like, reaffirming. Like, ‘No, yeah, that’s Ezra. Oh, that’s also so Ezra.’ And we’d be backstage, ‘That’s Ezra.’ I was like, ‘Okay, so then I think we’re good.’ Like, I’ll watch it later. So I didn’t actually do the immersion thing until all the way after shooting.”

Will Ahsoka Get a Season 2?

After Ahsoka‘s first season ended, Deadline reported that “Ahsoka Season 2 is more of a reality in the conversation, though nothing is locked yet.” Considering Ahsoka‘s ties with The Mandalorian and showrunner Dave Filoni’s future film plans, it’s pretty likely we’ll be seeing the Ahsoka characters again. Before the SAG strike, ComicBook.com had the chance to chat with Rosario Dawson (Ahsoka) while she was promoting her film, Haunted Mansion, and we asked if she knew anything about Filoni’s film and whether or not she would be in it. 

“No. I’m just so happy he got it,” Dawson shared when asked if she knew about the project. “Honestly, my uncle is a comic book artist. That is not the average transition coming from animation and going into directing, and especially a film. For all the nerds, I think for the cons and stuff, this is just like, ‘Ah!’ kind of status. So, I’m just super stoked for him because it really could not happen to a better person. He’s so talented and remarkable and awesome, and I love him. And I think what he learned in doing in animation, he’s blowing out of the water in directing and live action. So, I’m, as a fan, excited to watch that movie, whether I’m in it or not.”

She added, “And I hope I’m invited to set, regardless.” 

Are you surprised Esfandi didn’t watch all of Rebels before making Ahsoka? Tell us in the comments!