Ahsoka has been a bit of a bridge character for Lucasfilm in recent years. The once-young Jedi made the jump to live-action in The Mandalorian, directly connecting The Clone Wars with this new era of Disney+ streaming. Now, though the character will get a series of her own in the upcoming Ahsoka.
The Rosario Dawson-led streaming project will serve as a sequel series to Rebels, bringing that series' set of characters into live action for the very first time. The show is supposedly coming soon with a first look having been shown off at the D23 Fan Expo in September.
But with Dawson taking on the role of Ahsoka in live-action, some are asking whether Jedi's original voice actor Ashley Eckstein will be a part of the series in any way.
No Cameos for Ashley Eckstein
Fans have been wondering if Ahsoka voice actress Ashley Eckstein would get to appear in Disney+'s Ahsoka, and it seems the answer is no.
Speaking with EW, the Clone Wars actress said that a recent trip to Lucasfilm was "just a set visit" and that she "[has] not filmed a cameo for the Ahsoka series:"
“I don’t wanna start a rumor. People are like, ‘She’s on the set. She played a character.’ No, it was just a set visit. So I have not filmed a cameo for the Ahsoka series.”
That is not to say Eckstein would be against a cameo in the upcoming streaming series, noting that "it would be a dream come true if [she] got to do a cameo:"
“I talk about throwing your dreams out into the universe, so it would be a dream come true if I got to do a cameo, because my background is in live action.”
Eckstein, who brought Ahsoka to life for many years before Rosario Dawson came into the picture, has shared praise for the actress' take on the character.
The voice actor recently told Fandom that she has had the chance to meet Dawson and called the Mandalorian actress "just as lovely as could be:"
“It’s really incredible that we’re all now having the chance to meet. I finally had the chance to meet Rosario and it was wonderful. She’s just as just as lovely as could be. I’m all about women supporting women and I built an entire brand around it. All I ever wanted to do was to kind of step out united and say ‘We’re one’ and so I’m excited that we finally had the chance to do that.”
She recounted the experience of shaking hands with Dawson, saying "It was a dream day:"
“It was a dream day and she just was so lovely. And I can’t wait to do more things with her.”
Because Eckstein will not appear in Ahsoka, she shared her excitement for the series, remarking that "[she] cannot wait to see what’s explored" in the show:
“I cannot wait to see what’s explored in the Ahsoka series. I only know what the fans know, the theories that are out there, but I’m already really excited with what I think they’re going to cover in the live-action series.”
She said she would love to come back to the role at some point, saying that "if [she] ever got to do more," it would be "would be really special."
Eckstein finished things off by touching on the newly released Tales of the Jedi, noting that "fans are going to love these snippets and moments in time" and will be immediately asking "when are we gonna get more?:”
“I’m always curious. ‘What about this? What is she doing? Where is she going?’ I really think the fans are going to love these snippets and moments in time. And I just think after they, they see these, they’re gonna say, ‘Well, when are we gonna get more?‘”
No Room for a Second Ahsoka
It is going to be a bit of a bummer for fans that Ashley Eckstein will not be appearing in Ahsoka in any capacity. Some of her Clone Wars compatriots have come back for a cameo, like Anakin Skywalker voice actor Matt Lanter made a cameo appearance in Season 1 of The Mandalorian, so Ahsoka felt like the perfect opportunity to bring Eckstein back.
Not to say she needs a big part or anything. But why not put her in a pilot's suit, some Mandalorian armor, or even traditional Jedi garb and have her hop in front of the camera for a quick wink and a nod?
Maybe, as Eckstein says, she could come back for something in a potential Season 2 of the Disney+ series, or perhaps they can find a spot for her somewhere else in one of any number of Disney+ series currently in production. It doesn't need to happen, but it would be a nice way to honor all of the work she has done.
Ahsoka is currently shooting with an expected release date sometime in 2023.
