Disney’s Clone Wars Ahsoka Returns, Coming to Live-Action ‘Star Wars’
When Ahsoka debuted on Disney+ on August 22, 2023, it didn’t just tell the story of a former Jedi—it connected threads from across the Star Wars universe. Created by Dave Filoni and executive produced by Filoni, Jon Favreau, and Kathleen Kennedy, the series acts as a bridge between The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, and the post-original trilogy timeline of 9 ABY. That timeline also ties directly to The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Skeleton Crew.
Rosario Dawson leads the series as Ahsoka Tano, with Eman Esfandi returning as Ezra Bridger and Lars Mikkelsen reprising his role as Grand Admiral Thrawn. The ensemble also includes Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla, Ivanna Sakhno as Shin Hati, and the late Ray Stevenson as mercenary Baylan Skoll. Diana Lee Inosanto again portrays Morgan Elsbeth.
Season 1 ended on a cliffhanger: Ahsoka and Sabine were stranded on Peridea while Ezra made his long-awaited return to the main galaxy. Fans were left wondering if the story would continue through Filoni’s planned feature film or another New Republic–era project. That question was settled when Ahsoka Season 2 was confirmed alongside The Mandalorian and Grogu, a theatrical release set for May 2026.
Reports from late 2024 indicated Filoni was shaping the second season with an endpoint in mind. “According to [Daniel Richtman], the plan now is to make sure the series has a satisfying ending in case it’s canceled and doesn’t return for a third season.” The source added, “We hadn’t expected Filoni to tell this story beyond a couple of seasons, anyway, but Disney+ could always push for more episodes if Ahsoka is a big enough hit.”
One of the show’s most emotional legacies came from the loss of Ray Stevenson, who passed away shortly before Season 1’s release. The Rome and Thor actor died just before his 59th birthday while filming Cassino in Ischia (2024) after several hospitalizations for heart issues. The season was dedicated to him.
Although Dominic Purcell completed Stevenson’s final film role, Lucasfilm revealed how his Ahsoka character will live on. “Scottish actor Rory McCann, best known for playing the burly brute The Hound on HBO’s Game of Thrones, will replace late actor Ray Stevenson for a second season of Star Wars show Ahsoka,” The Hollywood Reporter confirmed. The first image of McCann as Baylan Skoll debuted at this year’s Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo, Japan.
This casting change continues the tradition of Star Wars animated-to-live-action transitions—Rosario Dawson, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Eman Esfandi, and Natasha Liu Bordizzo all took over from voice actors Ashley Eckstein, Vanessa Marshall, Taylor Gray, and Tiya Sircar when their Rebels characters came to life.
Now, Ahsoka Tano herself is evolving. Rosario Dawson recently teased at Comic-Con in Scotland (via SFF Gazette) that the next season will explore a lighter, more open side to the former Jedi. “She had a more of a strong gravitas at the beginning, and she was a little bit more unflappable,” Dawson said. “And I’m liking that she’s relaxing, she’s kind of getting back into her joy.”
Her renewed perspective, Dawson shared, stems from Ahsoka’s reunion with Anakin Skywalker in Season 1’s “World Between Worlds” sequence, where Hayden Christensen’s Force ghost helped her find long-needed peace. “I think those moments with Hayden [Christensen] and Anakin were so important for her to heal something so she could be more present. And that’s what I’m really enjoying. I think we get to explore that a lot more in the second season.”
With a renewed sense of hope and purpose, Dawson said this next chapter will show Ahsoka “relax a little bit more and work in community a little bit more than she has.” After years as a lone wanderer, Ahsoka’s story appears ready to come full circle—balancing the lessons of her Clone Wars-era past with the light she’s found again.
