It would be an understatement to say that Lucasfilm have been taking criticism for their handling of the Star Wars franchise during the Disney era, with Kathleen Kennedy being a particular source of frustration and anger for fans. Both The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker seemed to split opinion straight down the middle, and a high volume of creative turnover along with the delays plaguing Obi-Wan Kenobi only seem to be reinforcing the belief many people have that the studio aren’t quite sure how to handle the long-running sci-fi series.
However, there have been some positives for Star Wars on the small screen, with The Mandalorian turning out to be a huge hit and the resurrected Clone Wars receiving widespread acclaim. And now, the live-action and animated realms are set to crossover closer than ever before when fan favorite character Ahsoka Tano finally makes her long-awaited debut in Mando and Baby Yoda’s upcoming second season, with Rosario Dawson stepping into Ashley Eckstein’s shoes, albeit to the disappointment of some.
There’s already rumors that Ahsoka will also be given her own spinoff show in an effort to capitalize on her undoubted popularity, but in a recent interview, Dave Filoni, who’s been a key creative driving force behind The Clone Wars, Rebels and The Mandalorian, warned that Lucasfilm should exercise caution when adapting everyone’s favorite unofficial Jedi for live-action.
“I’ve done way more Ahsoka stories than I ever thought I would. It seems to be an unstoppable force at this point. I think we just have to be careful and make sure the bar is high, and always tell good stories and ones that are adding to the character’s depth and dimension. We’ll see. But it’s potential. Potential energy is always more exciting.”
The Rise of Skywalker took a lot of flak for trying to retcon things that happened in The Last Jedi that people weren’t happy with, doubling down on fan service in the process. So far, though, Jon Favreau seems to have avoided the interference that blighted the recent movies and been left to do his own thing with The Mandalorian, which certainly bodes well for Ahsoka Tano‘s immediate future.
