While discussing Lamya's Poem with Screen Rant, Mena Massoud opened up about his recent social media post that prompted fan speculation about a possible Star Wars role. In March, Massoud sparked speculation with an Instagram post that featured a quote of young Jedi Ezra Bridger from Star Wars: Rebels. The speculation comes following the appearance of fellow Jedi Ahsoka Tano in The Mandalorian and teases of Star Wars: Rebels antagonist Grand Admiral Thrawn in the series.
With Lucasfilm building a larger storyline around The Mandalorian on Disney+ across multiple series, many fans speculate who may appear by looking to past series. One such series is Star Wars: Rebels, with fans speculating that The Mandalorian and its surrounding shows will address the animated series' unanswered question, such as Jedi Ezra Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn's ultimate fates. As such, when Massoud quoted the young Jedi in an Instagram post, the Star Wars fandom was set ablaze with theories that the actor would be taking on the role of the Jedi in an upcoming series. Now the actor has opened up about his viral post.
When speaking to Screen Rant about his latest role as poet Rumi in Alex Kronemer's animated film Lamya's Poem, which is set to premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival, Massoud was asked about his post. Massoud explained that he was manifesting the role, throwing his hat into the ring following rumors. He elaborated that he feels the industry has changed due to social media. Rather than having representatives get roles, individuals can now represent themselves on social media and show interest. Massoud then said that a role in Star Wars would be a dream come true and allow him to apply what he learned on the set of Aladdin.
"Yeah. Just manifesting, just manifesting, trying different things. Yeah, there's not much more I can say about that, but, you know, I had heard murmurings that this role was coming up and this is becoming a real thing. So I just kinda wanted to throw my name in the ring and -- yeah, just part of manifesting what you want. I think we live in an age now that's so different than ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, Hollywood, where there was no social media. It was really just your representatives, putting things out there for you. But now, we have the ability to put things out there for ourselves because of social media and because we can put things out there. So yeah, I just wanted to put it out there, I guess... It would be a dream come true. Obviously, I've already had one of my dreams come true with Aladdin, but I also think I could just really do it justice. I've worked on that kind of big, massive set before on Aladdin. I think I have that under my belt now and thankfully the film did really well, so I think I've proven that I can be successful in that environment. I think it would just be a great opportunity to take everything that I learned on a set like Aladdin and implement it into the Star Wars or DC or Marvel universe. We're talking about manifesting, so yeah, it would mean a lot, it would mean a lot. I think I would also do a solid job and work really hard. I like what they're doing with that world and how they're expanding the universe."
Rumors of Ezra's return first appeared in 2020, where various websites and podcasts reported on a Lucasfilm casting call for an upcoming Disney+ series. When paired with Ahsoka's appearance and Thrawn's namedrop in the season 2 episode of The Mandalorian, "Chapter 13: The Jedi", as well as rumors for a follow-up to Rebels, many had taken it to suggest that the Jedi would make his long-awaited return. The apprentice of Order 66 Survivor Kanan Jarrus, Ezra, last appeared in the series finale "Family Reunion and Farewell." With the help of the hyperspace-capable purrgil, Ezra saved the people of Lothal by transporting Thrawn's fleet to an unknown part of the galaxy. The show's final scene saw young Mandalorian Sabine Wren join Ahsoka to search for Bridger following the Empire's fall.
Though Massoud may not have the role, many fans believe that he is an ideal choice to portray the Jedi. Massoud's comments about social media are also interesting, especially following Simu Liu's pre-Marvel casting tweets and The Mandalorian's Rosario Dawson expressing interest in playing Ahsoka before being cast. Social media has enabled actors and creatives to connect with fans and has given them a platform to express their voices and interest in upcoming projects. Actors can represent themselves, and when paired with fan support and excitement, this can give studios new ways to gauge audience interest in possible forthcoming projects. With these recent examples of dream castings coming true, fans hope it won't be long until they see Massoud ignite a lightsaber in a future Star Wars story.