Across the galaxy so far, far away, and throughout all of the tales of the Jedis who went up against the Empire and beyond, the Star Wars story has gifted us with so many unforgettable personalities. From evil, force-wielding villains to the fan-favorite do-gooders who fly into action to stop them, this is a franchise full of legends. And a large part of the success of these characters is down the actors who bring them to life.
Where would Han Solo be without Harrison Ford's charismatic performance? Princess Leia was equally captivating thanks to Carrie Fisher's formidable offering, and Mark Hammill's earnest outing as Luke Skywalker was worthy of the spotlight of the franchise. The stars make the characters every bit as much as the writing.
However, one of the franchise's most significant - and recognizable - actors won't be reprising their role in an upcoming project, which may have raised some eyebrows among Star Wars fans.
Star Wars recasts Ahsoka in LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy - Pieces of the Past
Ahsoka Tano makes her return to Disney Plus a little earlier than anticipated as the beloved Jedi Knight appears in new miniseries LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy - Pieces of the Past. The show - a sequel series to 2024's LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy - features the character's first appearance in her LEGO Brickheadz form, and it's truly something else. However, this marks the first time in years that Rosario Dawson is not playing the character.
Instead, the series has recruited Ashley Eckstein to voice Ahsoka, and that actually marks something of a reverse-recast, as Eckstein portrayed the character before Dawson ever did. She originated the role when Ahsoka was first introduced in animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars all the way back in 2008 and she has been commonly associated with the role ever since. And it's not just the one performance either, as the star has voiced Ahsoka in multiple projects.
Eckstein has indeed also lent her voice to Ahsoka in sequel series Star Wars Rebels, webseries Star Wars Forces of Destiny, and Clone Wars video games Lightsaber Duels and Republic Heroes (as well as LEGO Star Wars III and Disney Infinity 3.0). Although Dawson is considered the definitive Ahsoka in live-action projects, Eckstein is also the first ever person to portray her in a live-action film, as her voice could be heard in 2019 film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Dawson made her debut as the character in an episode of The Mandalorian in 2020 and has proceeded to play her in every appearance since. Eckstein has only made one other appearance as the character since, voicing her in 2022 series Tales of the Jedi. Now, LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy - Pieces of the Past marks her return to the role, perhaps suggesting that she will actually continue to portray the character in other ways outside of live-action.
The good news is that we are getting the best of both worlds as Dawson's return is imminent.
Rosario Dawson will be back in Ahsoka season 2
Although fans were surprised that Rosario Dawson isn't playing Ahsoka Tano in LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy - Pieces of the Past, she will still reprise her role as the live-action version of the character in Ahsoka season 2. The beloved Star Wars hero has become a fixture of the live-action projects, particularly those on Disney Plus.
Dawson first appeared as the beloved Jedi Knight in The Mandalorian season 2. She would then go on to appear in an episode of spinoff The Book of Boba Fett before headlining her own series. Ahsoka was a resounding success for Disney Plus, so it goes without saying that fans are excited for its impending second season.
She also might be the one who brings about the end of the Disney Plus Star Wars era, as the upcoming sophomore installment of her series is the last confirmed show in the Lucasfilm franchise for the time being. Disney and Lucasfilm have made the decision to bring the saga back to the silver screen, with two films currently on track for release in the next two years.
The first of those is The Mandalorian and Grogu, which of course stars Pedro Pascal as the beloved Din Djarin alongside his lovable green friend). Although The Mandalorian proved to be a major success for Disney Plus, the franchise's pivot back towards movies is simply down to the fact that these shows are too expensive to produce for the small screen, so the hope is that these films will have large box office returns.
Dave Filoni is also set to make a Mando-Verse movie that will serve as an eventual finale to the world of The Mandalorian and all of its spinoffs. With that, we should expect to see Dawson reprise her role as Ahsoka in that one, alongside the cast of The Book of Boba Fett and Skeleton Crew.
The good news in the midst of all of this is that we haven't seen the last of Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano!
Ahsoka season 2 streams on Disney Plus in 2026.