When Rosario Dawson was cast as the live-action Ahsoka Tano in The Mandalorian season two, Star Wars fans lost their minds as the Daredevil actress had been the fandom’s top choice to play the Togrutan Jedi in the flesh for years. That said, it was unclear whether the internet’s obsession with seeing Dawson play Ahsoka had anything to do with her landing the gig. However, now we know that the fans are definitely to thank for her casting.
In a wide-ranging cover story shining a light on everything Star Wars that’s in the works, Vanity Fair spoke to Lucasfilm producers about Dawson’s upcoming Ahsoka solo series. VF notes that the popular heroine’s co-creator Dave Filoni, who devised her for the Clone Wars animated series alongside George Lucas, immediately wanted to bring the character to live-action once he started working on The Mandalorian with fellow EP Jon Favreau.
Early on in the show’s development, Filoni and Favreau were made aware of a tweet from Dawson, in which a fan sent her some artwork mocking her up as Ahsoka, and the star’s response indicated she’d be interested in making this a reality. Although it could’ve just been a bit of throwaway social media activity, Lucasfilm took Dawson’s comment “seriously” and kept her in mind for the role.
VF likewise confirms that Filoni always intended for Ahsoka’s Mandalorian cameo, which was followed up with another guest spot on The Book of Boba Fett, to set up her own spinoff series. This is no doubt another reason why Dawson emerged as the perfect candidate as the prolific actress has plenty of experience in leading roles. It’s unclear whether Ashley Eckstein, who originated Ahsoka in the animated universe, was ever considered to reprise the part — as Katee Sackhoff did with Bo-Katan Kryze, for example.
Co-starring Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Hayden Christensen, Dawson is back in Ahsoka, which is thought to be hitting Disney Plus in early 2023.