All it takes is one bit of good news from the “Star Wars” universe for people to put down their arms and forget all about ‘Rise of Skywalker’ for just a moment. Fans are fickle people, and when the name Ahsoka Tano is mentioned, diehards perk up just a little. So, that’s exactly what happened when it was reported that Rosario Dawson has been cast to play Tano in Season 2 of “The Mandalorian.” Well, if fans are excited about that news, they’ll probably lose their minds if there’s a spin-off, huh?
READ MORE: ‘The Mandalorian’: Rosario Dawson Will Play Ahsoka Tano In Season 2
According to a new report from THR (Heat Vision newsletter, to be specific), it appears that the inclusion of Tano in “The Mandalorian” is obviously to be of interest to fans that have followed the character through the animated realm, but also could serve as a “backdoor pilot” for a potential spin-off series focused on the Anakin’s former Padawan.
For those not familiar with the term “backdoor pilot,” that’s the description used for an episode of a TV show that introduces a new character or story in the hopes that fans will react positively and show interest if the network decides to create a spin-off. Recently, the CW has made this commonplace with its Arrowverse shows constantly introducing new heroes to gauge fan interest in new series. Combine this rumor with the earlier report that former Disney CEO Bob Iger teased that “Star Wars” has a bright future on Disney+, with “The Mandalorian” becoming the possible launching point for spin-offs, and it appears that Ahsoka Tano could be set up to be the next big thing.
READ MORE: ‘Star Wars’ Near Future Is On Television; ‘Mandalorian’ Spin-Offs Being Explored
This makes complete sense, also, with the casting of Dawson in the role. Even the original report claimed that Tano isn’t a regular character in Season 2, so the idea of casting someone at the level of Rosario Dawson only really makes sense if you plan on something more with her in the future.
Basically, we’d all have to be ignorant to not believe Disney/Lucasfilm has something in mind for the character post-‘Mandalorian.’
This is all a moot point if fans revolt against the character when she’s introduced in Season 2 of the Disney+ streaming hit, which is set to premiere sometime in October.
