Ashley Eckstein released a statement on the Ahsoka Tano live-action rumors of the character appearing in Star Wars’ The Mandalorian.
When rumors swirled that a live-action Ahsoka Tano was coming to The Mandalorian, many Star Wars fans wondered about Ashley Eckstein. The actress has been the voice actor of Ahsoka since the beginning of The Clone Wars.
However, Eckstein was not the person seemingly chosen for the role. It was A-list celebrity Rosario Dawson. While. Dawson is a powerful pick, there were still many fans who were disappointed it wasn’t Eckstein.
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Eckstein has released a statement on her Instagram about the decision, being as gracious and supportive as she has shown over the years.
In her statement, she says:
"“The truth is, I am not involved in The Mandalorian. I can’t answer questions for something I have been not been a part of. … I will continue to grateful for the opportunities to help create stories for Ahsoka Tano and I am always happy to see her legacy continue. I am only one member of a tremendously talented team of people that it takes to being Ahsoka Tano to life. The final decisions for Ahsoka are not mine to make and I cannot comment on something that I truly know nothing about.”"
You can read the full statement here on Eckstein’s Instagram.
While Eckstein tried to toe the line of neutrality, it’s hard not to think she isn’t disappointed by the rumors. She has played the character for 14 years and even recorded lines for The Rise of Skywalker as one of the Jedi of the past.
Eckstein took the difficult task of taking on a new character in the Star Wars universe and making her a fan favorite.
I won’t put words into Eckstein’s mouth. She didn’t come out and share any disappointment. She didn’t praise the decision either. It’s a statement that allowed her to say she said something without actually saying anything.
One thing we can agree on is that she wouldn’t come out and say bash Dave Filoni, the man behind The Clone Wars and the one who breathed Ashoka into life.
By putting down the decision and sharing her disappointment, it would also be a shot against Filoni who is involved in The Mandalorian. If you know anything about Eckstein, that is not her style. She wouldn’t publicly put Filoni down that way.
However, she’s also right in that she can’t comment on things she doesn’t know anything about. She doesn’t know the thinking behind the casting or what Jon Favreau was looking for in casting Tano.
As Star Wars fans, we can be disappointed for Eckstein, but excited for the future of Ahsoka in live-action. Something like that doesn’t happen without what Eckstein brought to the character.
Want more Ahsoka Tano? Watch The Clone Wars on Disney+.