Modern movies and television like to point to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the epitome of interconnected storytelling, but theStar Warsuniverse has been doing it for just as long. The original trilogy of movies, the prequels, the sequel trilogy, standalone movies, and animated series are all connected in a uniqueStar Warstimeline. Comic books, novels, and games flesh out the universe as well, though they aren’t all as connected. Now, one of the characters from the animated arm of theStar Warsuniverse is headed to Disney Plus. Ahsoka has her own live action series in development, andMary Elizabeth Winsteadis one of the few actors to be announced with a role in the series.
MostStar Warsfans know Ahsoka fromThe Clone Warsand theRebelsanimated series. The character did appear in live-action inThe MandalorianSeason 2 with Rosario Dawson in the role. Dawson is set to play the character for the Disney Plus series as well. While little information is known about what the show will entail, herMandalorianappearance has fans speculating that Ahsoka is on the hunt for fellow animated character Ezra Bridger, a character who disappeared during the events ofRebels. WithAhsokalikely set after that series, fans are wondering just who Winstead might be playing for the series.
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Bariss Offee
Like Ahsoka, Bariss Offee also trained to be a Jedi. The two were even friends for a time. That friendship dissolved when Offee began protesting the way the Jedi approached the Clone Wars. She did so by bombing a temple in protest - and framing Ahsoka. Offee was eventually arrested for the crime.
Since then, Offee hasn’t been present in much of the events in-universe, making her story one that writers could easily play around with. Her presence could give Ahsoka her own personal antagonist, giving the series a more focused approach. It was, after all, Offee’s decision to frame Ashsoka that led to the latter leaving the Jedi order completely. When others didn’t believe that she was framed,Ahsoka became disillusioned with the order herself. Whether Offee would actually be on the dark side of the force, or someone more in the middle ground, could make for a compelling foil.
Hera Syndulla
Hera Syndulla comes from the animated side of theStar Warsuniverse as well, though the character has been more present than Offee.A Twi-lek, Hera can be found in video gamesas well as a captain of theGhost.That’s the same ship Ezra Bridger served on duringRebels, making Hera a connection to the character if Ahsoka is actually still on a quest to track him down.
More female captains in the world ofStar Warsis always a welcome addition, so that might be reason enough for fans to want Winstead in the role. Hera, however, has also been an ally of Ahsoka in the past, and cares about the wellbeing of her crew (or former crew), so she would be a natural choice in the search for Bridger - if that’s where Ahsoka’s story goes.
Doctor Aphra
Doctor Aphra has become a fan-favorite character in theStar Warsuniverse thanks to her Marvel comic book series, so it’s only natural that fans are hoping for the character to appear in one of the many live-action installments ofStar Warscoming to Disney Plus. Not much has been revealed about the character’s story in the world right after the original movie trilogy, leaving fans to be surprised about her place in the story.
The downside to Winstead potentially playing the character is that writers and artists have always approached Doctor Aphra with East Asian influence.Comic book editor Heather Antos even commentedto confirm the character as Asian on her twitter. That’s led to a lot ofarmchair casting ofAgents Of SHIELD’sChloe Bennetin the role, so casting someone of another ethnicity in the part would certainly raise some eyebrows.
Someone Completely New
BecauseStar Warsis such an expansive universe, there are, of course, hundreds of characters that exist in the canon. That doesn’t mean there isn’t room for more.
Casting Winstead as someone who doesn’t already exist in animation, comics, or theLegendsnovels means that the writers of the series wouldn’t have to fit the character into their existing background. They also wouldn’t have quite as many fan expectations to deal with. A blank slate that can be used in any area ofStar Warsmeans less restrictions on the writers and the actor. There have already beennew characters reportedly created forAhsokaas well. She could be one of them.
Ahsokais currently in development for Disney Plus. For other live-actionStar Warscontent, bothThe MandalorianandThe Book Of Boba Fettare available to stream on the service.
