Ahsoka Tano is one of Star Wars' most beloved characters. However, although she featured prominently in The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, she hasn't yet appeared physically in live-action. This is all set to change, though, as Rosario Dawson will bring Ahsoka to life for The Mandalorian Season 2.
Dawson is a pretty beloved actor -- she's appeared in Rent, Sin City, many DC animated movies, and Marvel's Netflix shows like Daredevil and Luke Cage. She's easily a winning casting choice among the majority of fans. After she confirmed interest in the role in 2017, fans rallied around the actor as a great choice. And while there is nothing inherently wrong with her casting, the decision has met with some backlash. A vocal minority of fans has taken to social media to express their outrage, with two major arguments against the casting dominating the discourse.
The first is a simple one -- some fans believe Ahsoka should be portrayed by her voice actor, Ashley Eckstein. Eckstein has voiced every appearance of Ahsoka and has grown with the character since her inception. Many feel she embodies Ahsoka Tano, and there isn't much of a reason to recast her for a live-action appearance in The Mandalorian. While voice acting talent doesn't always translate to physical acting talent, Eckstein is no stranger to live-action work. It's a valid argument, although this isn't the first time in Star Wars that more than one actor has played the same character.
Darth Vader is famously acted and voiced by separate people (mainly David Prowse and James Earl Jones). However, Darth Maul is a more relevant example. In The Phantom Menace, Darth Maul was played by actor and martial artist Ray Park. Yet, Peter Serafinowicz provides Maul's voice. In animated form, he is played by Sam Witwer. With so many actors playing the same character, it seems odd for fans to reject Rosario Dawson for Ashley Eckstein over the same issue.
Ahsoka's appearance is supposedly only a guest role in The Mandalorian Season 2, so to many viewers, the casting seems like a non-issue. With that said, some outlets speculate that her appearance could be a sign of things to come. This guest role could act as a backdoor pilot for a live-action Ahsoka television series, meaning the role could have way more impact on the franchise over time. However, loyalty to Ahsoka's voice actor is not the only argument against Dawson's casting. We aren't trying to diminish Ashley Eckstein, but the other is far more controversial -- Dawson is the middle of some legal trouble.
Outside of her acting career, Dawson is known for her philanthropy and social justice advocacy. She supports several charities and nonprofits working to ameliorate issues like climate change, domestic violence, youth homelessness, the rights of women and the LGTBQ+ community. She's also in a relationship with New Jersey Senator and former 2020 Democratic Presidential candidate Cory Booker. However, Dawson and her family are being sued for allegedly harassing, discriminating against and physically assaulting a transgender man named Dedrek Finley.
The suit against Dawson was filed in October by Finley, a long-time friend and personal handyman to the family. According to a report in Out, Finley moved from New York to Los Angeles to renovate the Dawson home, as they promised him a consistent flow of work and a rent-free residence upon relocation. At the time of this offer, the Dawson family knew Finley as a lesbian woman. However, after moving to the west coast and coming out as trangender, the Dawsons' relationship with Finely allegedly changed dramatically.
Finley claims Rosario and her mother, Isabel Dawson, engaged in verbal abuse and anti-trans discrimination. According to NBC News, Finley claims the Dawson family would deliberately misgender him and tried to evict him from his Los Angeles home. In a physical altercation with Isabel over said eviction, Rosario allegedly held Finley down while Isabel assaulted him. He also claims that Rosario stole his phone during the confrontation-- one violent enough to leave him hospitalized.
To be clear, this is all alleged. In the New York Daily News, the family's legal council called the suit "baseless" and it has yet to go to trial. Making matters more complicated, Dawson came out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community herself in February in an interview with Bustle. Still, some aren't happy a potentially transphobic actor is involved in Star Wars, which is (ideally) making an effort to become more inclusive.
The controversy certainly muddies the seemingly celebratory casting news. While Rosario Dawson is very talented, it seems incongruous to cast her as Ahsoka Tano -- a fictional paragon of goodness even in comparison to her "good guy" allies like the Jedi -- if the alleged claims are true.
Although The Mandalorian Season 2 is still a ways off, Lucasfilm has a habit of appeasing fans. It's possible Dawson's casting may change as well. Between the outcome of the lawsuit, the entertainment industry delays caused by COVID-19, and the potential for the backlash to grow (as Star Wars fans have come to be known for), nothing is set in stone.
Created by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian stars Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers, Giancarlo Esposito and Emily Swallow. Season 1 is streaming now on Disney+. Season 2 is slated to arrive this October.