Highlights
- Rosario Dawson believes that newcomers to the Star Wars: Ahsoka series don't need to worry about being lost, as the show is designed to be accessible to viewers of all experience levels in the Star Wars universe.
- Series creator Dave Filoni's deep understanding of the Star Wars universe ensures that the show will include allusions and references that are meaningful to long-time fans, while still being enjoyable for casual viewers.
- While it's not necessary for new viewers to do their homework before watching Ahsoka, exploring previous shows, movies, books, and games within the Star Wars universe could enhance the viewing experience.
The upcoming Disney Plus series Star Wars: Ahsoka may be daunting for some, with many fans afraid they'll need to brush up on several shows' worth of content to understand what's going on. However, series star Rosario Dawson doesn't seem to think anything so drastic is necessary.
Rosario Dawson, who has been playing former Jedi Ahsoka Tano in live-action since her appearance in The Mandalorian season 2, recently spoke about her experience filming the show and what fans can expect. New info has been slowly trickling in, including a look at Thrawn's massive new ship on Ahsoka. But one thing that has lingered in the minds of interested audiences is that they might be a bit lost if they come in as newcomers to this particular Star Wars project. However, they may not need to worry, as Dawson appears to have faith that the series will speak for itself.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Dawson spoke about this unique situation in which Star Wars fans find themselves more often lately. "With Star Wars fans, there's folks who really just watch the films, but now and especially with The Mandalorian, more [and more] people are watching the live-action shows," she explained. "And then there are people who watch the animated shows. There's even a tier beyond that with all the books and fan fiction. So there's different levels to the Star Wars family, and it's always been very highly considered to make sure [everyone can watch it]."
Based on those words, it seems clear that the idea is that people of all experience levels with Star Wars should be able to enjoy not only this show but anything new from Star Wars. Series creator Dave Filoni seems uniquely qualified to do that. "Dave has done a really brilliant job," Dawson continued, "and knowing the universe so inside and out — and having created so many of the characters and spaces within that universe — he just knows where to start. He knows what needs to be alluded to, and he is just really brilliant at figuring out how to make it for both. So it made a big impact and difference having him on set."
Recently, Ahsoka voice actress Ashley Eckstein (who plays the character in animated form) suggested some intimidating ways for fans to prepare for Ahsoka's impending premiere. But based on Dawson's comments, casual viewers shouldn't have to worry too much about that. Ahsoka Tano has seen many adventures in Star Wars, from the young Jedi Padawan of Anakin Skywalker to leaving the Jedi Order and setting out on her own before returning to help the fledgling Rebel Alliance. Now, Ahsoka sees her searching for answers in a time after the fall of the Galactic Empire.
But as much as that may sound like something new viewers should be fully aware of before going in, it looks like the show is also designed to help get newbies up to speed without having to do their homework beforehand. Despite plenty of fanservice, and even many fans hoping to see Legends character Starkiller show up on Ahsoka, checking out several previous shows, movies, books, and even games first probably won't be necessary. Still, it couldn't hurt, and it also sounds like a fun way to kill a few days (or maybe months).
Star Wars: Ahsoka is set to premiere its first 2 episodes on Disney Plus on August 23rd, 2023.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter