A Star Wars star has revealed their character will have a "strong presence" in Dave Filoni's Star Wars movie, and it's exactly who fans predicted.
Lucasfilm first announced Dave Filoni's Mandalorian crossover movie at Star Wars Celebration 2023, describing the future film as a culmination of Filoni and Jon Favreau's Disney+ MandoVerse.
The news was followed by Ahsoka's debut which brought several of Filoni's Star Wars: Rebels characters into live-action, including Sabine Wren, Hera Syndulla, Thrawn, and Ezra Bridger.
Many fans viewed the streaming series as a stepping-stone to the big-screen crossover; and now, one Ahsoka star just confirmed those suspicions, as well as their unsurprising role.
Dave Filoni's Mandalorian Crossover Includes Ahsoka Star
In talking with The Hollywood Reporter, Ahsoka's Eman Esfandi claimed Ezra Bridger "plays a pivotal role" in upcoming Star Wars storytelling, including a possible Ahsoka Season 2 and Dave Filoni's movie:
"Including a potential Season 2 and the film, I think I’ll be very involved. From everything I’ve learned about Star Wars and what’s canon at the moment and the way Dave and everyone seems to be writing and moving forward, I think Ezra plays a very pivotal role, which is exciting."
First introduced in Rebels, Ezra Bridger was a Force-sensitive orphan from Lothal who joined the Rebels Ghost crew and was trained by Jedi Kanan Jarrus.
Ezra's act of sacrifice in the Rebels finale led to the mystery of his and Grand Admiral Thrawn's mysterious disappearance. But in Ahsoka Episode 6, Sabine finally found Ezra with Eman Esfandi bringing the character into live-action for the first time.
While the 29-year-old actor has been attached to the role since September 2022, Ahsoka was his first major TV role and one of his biggest credits along with a supporting role in the Oscar-winning King Richard.
While he understandably wants to keep playing Ezra for personal and professional reasons, he also expressed that more of the character "feels correct" for the story:
"As a human, you’re like, 'I get to act! I get to do the thing that I like. I’ll have a job,' but story-wise, it feels correct. It feels like, 'Yeah, they should use him. He’d be a really good person to use for this or for that.'”
As for whether Esfandi's tenure extends beyond Filoni's film, he admitted, "I actually don't know" but doesn't feel he "would ever need more:"
"After [the announced movie and a potential 'Ahsoka' season two], I actually don’t know. I don’t know if there’s anywhere else Ezra could live across the universe. Maybe he sacrifices himself again in the movie, and then he is done for. I don’t know. If I do a second season, I’ll be happy. If we also do a movie, I’ll be so happy, and I would never need more than that. I’m like Harrison Ford in that way where I don’t need Ezra’s story to just live forever. I’d rather his story be concluded in the most appropriate way for his character. So if it ends at the movie, I’ll wash my hands and thank God and move on."
But despite not knowing his character's fate or his own future intentions, once again, Esfandi is confident Ezra "will have a very strong presence" in an Ahsoka Season 2 and the Mandalorian Crossover movie "if they happen:"
"I also don’t know how I’d feel after doing a potential season two and a movie. I don’t know if I’ll be like, 'I want to keep doing Ezra,' and if that’s the case, then maybe I do. I just won’t know yet until I get there. But for these next installments, I will have a very strong presence in those if they happen."
What Is Surprising About Eman Esfandi's Ezra Claims
Since Ahsoka ended with Ezra Bridger returning to the Star Wars galaxy, Eman Esfandi's role in a possible Season 2 and Dave Filoni's Star Wars movie is no surprise.
Reports of Thrawn being the crossover film's big bad practically confirmed as much since the two are due for a rematch.
What is surprising is Esfandi's confidence in the direction of Filoni's story, coupled with the disclaimer of "if they happen."
Whether this is due to Lucasfilm's long-standing trend of announcing projects and then canceling them is unknown.
Fans have other questions surrounding Ezra's live-action future, like whether he will train Kanan's son, Jacen, just as Jacen's father trained him, and when he will cross paths with The Mandalorian's Force-sensitive Grogu.
There's also the question of whether Luke Skywalker will return in an Ahsoka Season 2 or The Mandalorian crossover, allowing fans to see the two Jedi Knights team up against Thrawn.
Despite fans having more questions than answers, Eman Esfandi's confidence in his big-screen role is reassuring and could mean further details about the film are on the way.
All episodes of Ahsoka are streaming now on Disney+.
