The actress playing Hera Syndulla in Ahsoka has reportedly been revealed

One of the big reveals from Star Wars Celebration this year that seemed to fly under the radar a bit was the confirmation that Hera Syndulla will be appearing in the Ahsoka series, meaning the character will be making her live-action debut. But unlike with Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren, which was officially announced at Celebration and leaked before it, there was no sort of announcement about who was playing Ahsoka.

But recently Bespin Bulletin reported that Mary Elizabeth Winstead is bringing the beloved character to life in the series. It was reported all the way back in January that Winstead had joined the cast, but details about who she’s playing have remained under wraps. If she’s playing Hera, as this report suggests, that’s a major role.

It’s bittersweet, just as it was when Rosario Dawson was cast as Ahsoka Tano and Bordizzo was cast as Sabine, as the voice actresses who made them so beloved in the animated shows were replaced. It’s understandable why that would happen, and Dawson as Ahsoka has been great, but it’s still a bit bittersweet. Vanessa Marshall has been phenomenal as Hera, and it’ll be very strange hearing someone else’s voice with the character.

For those who aren’t familiar with Hera, she is one of the main characters of Star Wars Rebels who, alongside the Ghost crew (that involves Sabine) gets involved in the fight against the Empire. Hera in particular quickly became one of the most significant leaders in this Rebellion, rising to the rank of General and becoming part of Alliance High Command, helping to steer the fight in the Galactic Civil War. She fought in the battles of Scarif and Endor, among others, and as the New Republic was formed Hera was part of the inaugural New Republic High Command and was one of the most significant leaders in the New Republic military.

In this series, set sometime around the timeline of The Mandalorian, Ahsoka and Sabine are on a quest for Ezra Bridger, their ally who disappeared into the Unknown Regions prior to the Battle of Yavin, so it’s no surprise that Hera will be involved too – particularly since central to their quest is the location of Grand Admiral Thrawn, who disappeared with Ezra. Not only would Hera be interested about the whereabouts of her friend, she would also be interested (as a military leader in the New Republic) in the whereabouts of an unrivaled Imperial military strategist.