“Ahsoka” star Rosario Dawson popped up at Star Wars Celebration on Saturday to deliver anxious followers a particular shock — some first look footage from the upcoming Disney+ sequence, which performed completely for attendees.
After lacking Thursday’s Lucasfilm Studio Showcase presentation as a result of filming “Ahsoka,” Dawson appeared at the top of “The Mandalorian” panel, which featured creators Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, director and newly-promoted govt producer Rick Famuyiwa, stars Pedro Pascal (the titular Mandalorian), Giancarlo Esposito (Moff Gideon), Emily Swallow (The Armorer), Katee Sackhoff (Bo-Katan Kryze), Temuera Morrison (Boba Fett) and Carl Weathers (Greef Karga).
“I’m right here due to folks such as you,” Dawson advised the ecstatic crowd as she sat down with the panelists. “It’s simply such a thrill and honor to deliver her to life, and really feel the vitality of everybody desirous to see her come to life.”
The live-action sequence simply completed its third week of filming, so Dawson was in a position to make the panel. “Fortunately we don’t shoot on Saturdays,” she quipped.
And Dawson got here armed with extra surprises. First, she launched a really particular visitor: the trusty droid Chopper, who makes his live-action debut alongside Ahsoka within the sequence. Then, she cued up a less-than-30-second clip, which featured Dawson in her full Ahsoka regalia, together with fast glimpses at “Star Wars Rebels” characters Hera and Sabine Wren. The footage ends with Ahsoka wanting at artwork of the solid of “Star Wars Rebels,” which means different characters from the present will make their live-action debuts.
The ultimate shock got here after the lights within the area got here again up, simply in time for Natasha Liu Bordizzo to make her official debut because the actor who will deliver Sabine to life.
JUST ANNOUNCED: Natasha Liu Bordizzo joins the solid of #Ahsoka as Sabine Wren! pic.twitter.com/ks5xp1VaxH
— The Mandalorian (@themandalorian) May 28, 2022
“I really feel like I’ve simply been adopted into a brand new household,” Bordizzo stated after taking the stage. “I understand how a lot Sabine means to you, and after watching StarWarsRebels, she means a lot to me as effectively.”
The Disney+ sequence follows Ahsoka Tano, an exiled Jedi who was as soon as Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan apprentice earlier than Anakin turned to the darkish facet and have become Darkish Vader. Their time collectively was chronicled within the animated sequence “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” and by the point the sequence concluded, Ahsoka had develop into a fan favourite and one of many few examples in “Star Wars” of a serious feminine Jedi.
Bringing Ahsoka into live-action has been a dream of “Clone Wars” author and director Filoni, who co-created the character for the present. Dawson — who was fan-cast because the character — first performed Ahsoka on Season 2 of “The Mandalorian” in an episode written and directed by Filoni, and she or he appeared once more within the sixth episode of “The E-book of Boba Fest” — once more, directed by Filoni.
Naturally, Filoni created “Ahsoka” as effectively, together with “The Mandalorian” impresario Jon Favreau, and the present began manufacturing earlier in Might. A social media publish by Dawson appeared to verify rumors that Hayden Christensen is co-starring as Anakin (aka Darth Vader), however Lucasfilm has but to formally verify it. Provided that the occasions of “The Mandalorian” and “The E-book of Boba Fett” happen after Vader’s loss of life in “Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi,” any look by Christensen would virtually definitely be both as a Drive ghost, or in flashback.
Different co-stars embody Bordizzo (“The Society”) as Sabine Wren, ; and Mary Elizabeth Winstead (“Birds of Prey”), Ray Stevenson (“Vikings”) and Ivanna Sakhno (“Pacific Rim: Rebellion”) in undisclosed roles.
The shock footage was a part of the Star Wars Celebration conference in Anaheim, Calif. — the primary time “Star Wars” followers have gathered in individual because the pandemic. Saturday’s occasion marks Day 3 of the conference, which kicked off Thursday with the Lucasfilm Studio Showcase, and featured information about “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” “Andor,” “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” and extra, plus different Lucasfilm properties together with “Indiana Jones 5” and “Willow.”
Reporting by Wilson Chapman
