Star-Studded Panel for 'The Mandalorian' + 'Ahsoka'

Saturday was yet another star-studded day of festivities at the Star Wars Celebration with sneak peeks of upcoming Disney+ programming. “Mando+: A Conversation with Jon Favreau & Dave Filoni” panel featured surprise appearances, casting announcements, and an exclusive look at early footage of the Ahsoka series.

The panel was hosted by Ash Crossan of Screenrant and while Favreau and Filoni were the focus, they were not the only panelists. It was a packed house with Pedro Pascal, Brendan Wayne, Lateef Crowder, Giancarlo Esposito, Emily Swallow, Carl Weathers, Temuera Morrison, Katee Sackhoff, and Rick Famuyiwa from The Mandalorian all in attendance. Appearing for the first time as a Star Wars Celebration guest was Grogu (Baby Yoda).

The Mandalorian series is a sci-fi western series created by Favreau. Pascal stars as the titular lonely Mandalorian bounty hunter, Din Djarin. He was hired by Imperial forces to kidnap The Child (later known as Grogu), but instead chooses to protect The Child. The first two seasons of The Mandalorian are now streaming on Disney+. During the panel, it was announced that the third season is expected to be released in February 2023.

Favreau and Filoni have created an upcoming Disney+ series centered on fan-favorite character Ahsoka. The character first appeared in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and is the Jedi Padawan to Anakin Skywalker. Rosario Dawson portrayed Ahsoka in her live-action debut during season two of The Mandalorian.

Dawson was also in attendance for the Mando+ panel at the Star Wars Celebration, but she wasn’t the only cast member of the upcoming Ahsoka series to make an appearance. Chopper, a “very special droid,” also came onto the stage. Perhaps most exciting was the casting announcement for Sabine Wren, a fan-favorite Star Wars Rebels character. Sabine is an ex-bounty hunter, graffiti artist, and Imperial Academy dropout. Natasha Liu Bordizzo joined the panel officially as the live-action Sabine Wren.

Disney+ has chosen to expand the world of Star Wars through a multitude of series. The Mandalorian and Ahsoka are just the tip of the iceberg. There’s also Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, Andor, Skeleton Crew, The Acolyte, and Lando. Each of these series allows audiences to see a different part of the Star Wars universe. Some series focus on existing characters like Lando Calrissian and Cassian Andor in Lando and Andor respectively, but shows like Skeleton Crew are centered on new characters.

Fans in attendance were treated to an extended look at The Mandalorian’s upcoming third season. They were also given an early look at Ahsoka footage. Ahsoka will be released on Disney+ in 2023, but no exact date is known yet. In terms of where Ahsoka fits within the timeline of Star Wars, the events of the series will be after the original prequel trilogy. This period of time is also when The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Skeleton Crew all take place.

There’s no shortage of new content in the Star Wars universe and fans are in good hands with Favreau and Filoni at the helm.