Star Wars fans are raving about Rosario Dawson being cast as Ahsoka Tano in The Mandalorian season 2. Their excitement is not only because it brings a popular Star Wars character into live-action for the first time, but also because it's fan casting becoming a reality. Initially debuting on Star Wars: The Clone Wars as the plucky Padawan of Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano quickly became a fan favorite over the series' run.
Season 7 of The Clone Wars is currently airing on Disney+, and Ahsoka is featured as a central character over the last half of that final season, which is expected to cover the events immediately after Ahsoka walked away from the Jedi, through the Siege of Mandalore, and culminating with the fall of the Republic, including Order 66, which led to the murders of much of the Jedi Order. Season 7 will likely portray how Ahsoka escaped the clones turning on the Jedi and could set up her involvement in season 2 of The Mandalorian, which is set six years after the Battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi.
After her feature film debut in Larry Clark's controversial drama Kids, Rosario Dawson has had a diversified and prolific career. In addition to sci-fi/fantasy films like Sin City and Men in Black 2, her role as Claire Temple in the Marvel Netflix series linked all the heroes of The Defenders. Dawson has been a popular Ahsoka fan cast since 2017 when one fan tweeted Dawson about whether she'd like to play the role, and Dawson replied: "Ummmm… yes, please?! #AhsokaLives." However, Dawson's path to the part was not a straight line.
As late as the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Ahsoka's live-action portrayal remained an open question. In the battle of Exegol, Rey (Daisy Ridley) hears the voices of departed Jedi spirits encouraging her in confronting the Emperor, including Ahsoka's, and fans of the character noticed that the voice of Ahsoka was Ashley Eckstein, who originated the role in the animated series.
However, after the official casting announcement of Dawson for The Mandalorian season 2 and Eckstein's classy response to the news, fans now know that Ahsoka's story will continue after The Clone Wars' finale and that her portrayal is in capable hands. Dawson's feisty strength, most notably in her supporting role in Alexander, and her ability to handle action sequences, evidenced in her sci-fi films, make her a perfect choice for Ahsoka. Moreover, fan images of Dawson outfitted in digital make-up and costumes easily show that she's a dead ringer for the role.
Though details about The Mandalorian season 2's plot are scant, Moff Gideon wielding the Darksaber at the end of season 1 implies connections to The Clone Wars' and Star Wars: Rebels' plotlines. What is more, Dawson is the right age to play Ahsoka as a more seasoned Force user, which could be important since The Child (a.k.a. Baby Yoda) is being looked after by Pedro Pascal's Mando. Running into someone who is familiar with the ways of the Force will no doubt come in handy in dealing with the mysterious 50-year-old toddler. Whether Rosario Dawson's Ahsoka appears in an multi-episode arc, just as a one-off, or as a backdoor pilot for an Ahsoka Tano series remains to be seen, but fans of the character and The Mandalorian have plenty to look forward to with Rosario Dawson wielding Ahsoka iconic dual lightsabers.