With Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka show on the way to Disney+, there’s a good chance some fan-favorite Star Wars: Rebels characters could be making the jump to live-action as well. The Mandalorian has already brought in several familiar faces from the Star Wars animated shows, including Dawson’s Ahsoka and Katee Sackhoff’s Bo-Katan Kryze. As Ahsoka’s hunt for Grand Admiral Thrawn continues on her own show, she could run into some more characters from Rebels.
So far, the live-action versions of previously animated Star Wars characters have been pretty well-received. Dawson’s Ahsoka was instantly welcomed by fans, both for her performance and presence in battle. Similar praise was awarded to Katee Sackhoff, who voiced Bo-Katan in both Star Wars: Rebels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars before taking on the role again in The Mandalorian. That bodes well for all the other characters who could return in Ahsoka.
Of course, not every major player from Rebels can come back in Ahsoka. Most obviously, Kanan Jarrus sadly won’t be able to make the leap to live-action to his death in Rebels after a noble sacrifice. Freddie Prince Jr. did an excellent job voicing the character, so maybe fans can cross their fingers for a flashback cameo appearance somewhere down the line. Other prominent characters like Zeb and Kallus could also potentially show up in one-off appearances, but they seem unlikely given their general removal from Ahsoka’s story and lesser popularity among fans. With that out of the way, here are some of the most likely Star Wars: Rebels characters to appear in Ahsoka and who could play them in live-action.
Ezra Bridger – Ryan Potter
Since Rebels early run, Ryan Potter has been a popular fan cast for the character of Ezra. Now that Potter has grown up and Ezra will be in his late 20s by the time of The Mandalorian, it’s the perfect time to give the people what they want while also bringing another brilliant performer and skilled martial artist to the world of Star Wars. While the exact nature of Ahsoka’s hunt for Thrawn is unclear, it’s likely that Ezra is a part of it, as he vanished alongside the Grand Admiral in the Rebels finale.
With Potter in the role, Disney could gain instant excitement from fans of the animated show while also casting someone who can lightsaber duel with the best of them. The only potential hang-up right now is Potter’s ongoing leading role on HBO Max’s Titans series, where he plays Beast Boy. Still, that doesn’t mean he couldn’t also make a splash in the universe of Star Wars.
Sabine Wren – Tiya Sircar
In the final shot of Rebels (which may take place after The Mandalorian season 2), Ahsoka approaches Sabine Wren to enlist her on her search for Ezra. The two were close throughout their time together in Rebels, and it makes sense given Sabine’s huge popularity among fans that she’d be brought back for the Ahsoka show. But who could play her?
In season 2 of The Mandalorian, Disney showed their willingness to cast former voice actors as the live-action versions of their characters. Katee Sackhoff blazed that trail with a stellar reprisal of her role as Bo-Katan Kryze, leaving the door open for more such casting choices to be made in the future. Tiya Sircar, the original voice of Sabine, would be an excellent choice to bring the popular character to live-action now that Disney is clearly open to the idea.
Sircar’s iconic vocal performance as Sabine is a huge reason why the character quickly became one of Rebels’ most popular. She perfectly balanced strength, wit, and moments of vulnerability in her turn as the Mandalorian prodigy, and she can bring that exact same energy to a live-action version of the character. After Sackhoff’s success, and given how popular Sircar already is with the fan base, it’s a perfect fit. Plus, the actress has already proclaimed her desire to play the character on Disney+.
Hera Syndulla – Zoe Saldana
The captain of the Ghost and a major player in the military arm of the Rebel Alliance, Hera Syndulla could easily appear in the Ahsoka show. Whether as a partner in the search for Thrawn or as a liaison in the New Republic, Hera has a lot to offer the former Jedi on her search. For her first live-action appearance, such a powerful figure demands some star power – someone like Zoe Saldana.
Yes, it’s a little on the nose. Saldana has already played a green-skinned alien space pilot for Disney as Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy, but that only shows how perfect she could be in the role of Hera. Saldana has thrived playing brilliant, calculated characters, and her casting as Hera would be both a great match for the performance and a fun nod for fans of Disney’s broader work.
Grand Admiral Thrawn – Lars Mikkelsen
Ever since Thrawn’s name was invoked by Ahsoka in The Mandalorian season 2, fans have been throwing out all kinds of casting pitches for the notorious Chiss strategist. Benedict Cumberbatch, Jason Isaacs, Pierce Brosnan, and Jon Hamm have all been tossed into the ring as potential contenders, but there’s one other name that just makes the most sense.
Lars Mikkelsen, like Tiya Sircar, could bring his performance as Thrawn from the voiceover realm to the world of live-action. Mikkelsen was exceptional in the role on Star Wars: Rebels, bringing a sinister iciness and quiet malice to one of Star Wars’ most beloved villains. An accomplished stage and screen actor already, Mikkelsen would only get better as Thrawn with the added space allowed by a live-action series targeted at an older audience. While there are plenty who could play the role well, Mikkelsen has already proved he’s more than got what it takes to excel as the Grand Admiral.
Captain Rex – Temuera Morrison
This one almost doesn’t count because, by right, it should already be obvious. Now that Temuera Morrison has returned to the world of Star Wars as Boba Fett, he should continue his tradition of playing Jango Fett clones by portraying Captain Rex on Ahsoka. The epilogue of Rebels confirms Rex fought with the Rebellion for years and survived the war, meaning he could easily still be alive and ready to help his old general on her hunt for Thrawn. Morrison is a commanding presence on camera and a core part of the new Disney+ Star Wars universe. Seeing him play one of the most beloved Jango clones on Ahsoka would be a huge deal for fans.