Star Wars Celebrationwas full of new details about upcoming series likeAhsokaseason 2 and theStar Warsuniverse in general. With the follow-up to 2023’sAhsokajust beginning to film and projects likeThe Mandalorian & Groguset to bring small-screen characters to IMAX theaters, the future of the universe George Lucas created is looking full indeed. Lucasfilm Animation is even bringing a new series to audiences inMaul: Shadow Lord, which continues to explore the life of its fan-favorite titular character.
Ahsokain particular, though, was the subject of some especially huge reveals. News was made when Anakin Skywalker was confirmed to be areturning character inAhsokaseason 2, played once again by Hayden Christensen. It was also confirmed that Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka would continue to spend time with the live-action versions of theStar Wars Rebels, while none other than Admiral Ackbar would join the fight against Grand Admiral Thrawn.
ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan spoke withAhsokastar Rosario Dawson, showrunner Dave Filoni, and executive producer Jon Favreau aboutAhsokaseason 2at Star Wars Celebration 2025. They reflected on the inspiration provided by Dave Filoni’s concept art and bringing the Expanded Universe showdown between Admiral Ackbar and Grand Admiral Thrawn to life. Plus, the creatives teased what’s to come for Ahsoka and the Rebels crew.
Rosario Dawson Geeks Out About Star Wars As Much As Anyone Would
She Shares Her Reaction To Dave Filoni’s Concept Art To Fully-Realized Sets
As aStar Warsfan, it’s refreshing to discover that those with the keys to the galaxy are just as excited about new projects as anyone–and Rosario Dawson certainly seems to be thrilled.“That’s the thing that we cherish, actually, at the end of it, because it [makes it] so alive,”the actor said about getting to see Dave Filoni’s concept art–especially because, at the time of the interview, she hadn’t seen the sets at the studios.
But at those sets–at the studio or not–Dawson reacts as mostStar Warsfans would.“We did a war room walkthrough,”Dawson continued,“and I get excited. They’re literally just panels with switches on them, [but it was] me and Natasha [Liu Bordizzo playing with] every single thing. It’s so exciting.”Although Dawson revealed that she hasn’t read all the scripts forAhsokaseason 2 yet–”We still don’t even know how it finishes,”she said–she did say it was“wonderful to see, from the first season, how much we established that we get to now deep dive into.”
Expect More Of The Rebels Crew, Especially Ahsoka & Ezra
“You’re About To See Quite A Lot Of Them”
One of the undeniable highlights ofAhsokaseason 1 was the fact that the show brought Dave Filoni’s characters from the animated seriesStar Wars: Rebelsto live-action. The inclusion of Ezra Bridger, played inAhsokaby Eman Esfandi, was especially exciting as the character’s fate afterStar Wars: Rebelswas a total mystery.“I know we get to see more of [Ahsoka] and Ezra,”said Dawson about season 2.
“I remember that was a big thing with the fans, ending in the last episode and seeing the two of them see each other from afar, but not hug,”Dawson continued.“I thought that was so fascinating: how people were like, ‘We didn’t see them hug.’ I’m like, ‘Don’t worry. You’re about to see quite a lot of them.’”
Dave Filoni weighed in on the Ahsoka-Ezra hug that many viewers have yearned for:“It wasn’t necessary. The moment was so good between them. They shot that really early on, and I found that to be quite incredible. I liked the way that the editors cut it so that as he’s crossing the hangar to her, it wipes and it becomes Sabine walking toward Ahsoka, so you’re getting this parallel symmetry. Jon [Favreau] knows I love that stuff in the frame.”Filoni also promised more:
“It’s more about that the hugs are to come. We won’t have any lack of that.”
For theAhsokashowrunner, bringing characters like Ezra to live-action hasn’t felt like a huge switch-up from what he’s done in the past:“Honestly I don’t think of it very differently than when I was doing Rebels. They feel like the same characters to me. You just kind of write it a slightly different way. But it is neat to see them all back.”
Filoni also dropped an encouraging update about whether theRebelscharacters will reunite afterAhsokaseason 1 ended with Ahsoka stranded in a different galaxy:“They’re a little spread out right now in the series, so we have to work on that. One of them is in a different galaxy. We have to figure that out. But it is fun and it just goes to show you that they’re really quite remarkable characters. They have their own following. That animated series was very special and I think they’ve translated well to live action.”
Admiral Ackbar’s Expanded Universe Role Is Realized In Ahsoka Season 2
“There Are Certain Pillars That I Like To Stick To”
In the now-defunctStar WarsExpanded Universe, many stories focused heavily on the military genius of Admiral Ackbar. Although Timothy Zahn’s 1991 novelHeir to the Empiremay not have directly seen Thrawn face off against Ackbar in a fleet battle, in Filoni’s words,“It’s definitely inferred that Ackbar was leading [the New Republic fleet] in that time, and Thrawn was his main counterpart.”
“I deal with Star Wars history in that way–even though a lot has been shaken up over the years, there are certain pillars that I like to stick to,”Filoni shared.“So, bringing Thrawn into this era isn’t anything clever by me. It’s just something that always was. So, I wanted to see that happen. Part of it’s just selfish. I want to see it happen.”
Jon Favreau weighed in, revealing the lucky fortune that allowed for the upcoming matchup:“And there was a break in Ackbar’s schedule, so we were able to get him for the show. That was very hard. There was scheduling.”
Ahsoka Season 2’s Loth-Kittens Are A Whole New World Of Cute
“It’s Another Level”
Early footage ofAhsokaseason 2 also introduced Loth-kittens, baby versions of theStar Wars RebelsLoth-cats that made the jump from animation to live-action in 2025. Or, as Dave Filoni calls them,“Loth-balls”.
“I love them. They’re just so adorable. I can’t wait,”Rosario Dawson added,“And they come in different colors. When we saw the Loth-cat, that was such a huge hit on the first season. And with the crew–we were all beside ourselves.”
“My dog loved it,”said Favreau.
Dawson praised the animatronics behind the first season’s Loth-cat as well:“[There was] the growling, [the hair], you could see him breathing… everything was just so incredible. So to see the Loth-balls, the Loth-kittens… it’s another level.”
