Season 2 of The Mandalorian finally saw Rosario Dawson step into the role of fan-favorite Star Wars character Ahsoka Tano in "Chapter 13: The Jedi." However, Dawson's casting was due to a rather unorthodox source -- the Internet.
"Someone tweeted me and fan-cast me. I retweeted back and I was like, 'Absolutely, yes please' and '#AhsokaLives.' And apparently that got the attention of someone who has been doing the Star Wars press for years," Dawson told Vanity Fair. "She forwarded it to Dave Filoni. That kind of started a whole thing. I was like, 'Oh my goodness, did I just get fan-cast in something?' And then nothing happened."
"That was the first time and I looked at Rosario and I thought, Huh. Yeah, I think maybe she would make a good Ahsoka," executive producer Filoni added. "I just kept loosely aware of what she was up to, and she was doing some Marvel things. But I’d seen interviews with her where she would talk about wanting to play the character and her excitement, so it was interesting."
Filoni previously worked on the Star Wars animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, both of which featured Ahsoka in a prominent role. He also wrote and directed "Chapter 13: The Jedi," bringing his journey with the character full circle. During "Chapter 13: The Jedi," Ahsoka was locked in a battle with the Magistrate of Calodan and her security forces. When Din Djarin sought her help in training the Force-sensitive Child, Ahsoka enlisted his help in defeating the Magistrate. She then demanded that the Magistrate tell her where Grand Admiral Thrawn was, as she had been searching for Thrawn and Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger after the events of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.
Created by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian stars Pedro Pascal, with guest stars Gina Carano, Carl Weathers, Horatio Sanz and Giancarlo Esposito. Directors for the second season include Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rick Famuyiwa, Carl Weathers, Peyton Reed and Robert Rodriguez. New episodes air Fridays on Disney+.
Source: Vanity Fair