We’ve long suspected that the Ahsoka series would function as a Rebels sequel of sorts, setting up the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn – and, as a result, Ezra Bridger too. Last fall, it was reported that Eman Esfandi had been cast to bring Ezra to live-action.
He was glimpsed briefly in the first teaser for Ahsoka, with Ezra’s hologram to Sabine Wren being re-created for the show. But at Star Wars Celebration, and the accompanying announcements, there was never any official confirmation about Ezra or the actor who was cast to play him. But now, in an extremely understated way, we have official confirmation.
In the release about the August 23 release date, Lucasfilm dropped the cast list… and included among the cast is Eman Esfandi as Ezra Bridger!
Ezra was a young Jedi Padawan in the years leading up to the Galactic Civil War, training under Kanan Jarrus as a member of the Ghost crew led by Hera Syndulla. He developed strong connections with Sabine Wren and Ahsoka Tano, among others, and faced Grand Admiral Thrawn as the fledgling rebels attempted to liberate Ezra’s homeworld of Lothal. Ezra used a group of purrgil to take Thrawn’s flagship into hyperspace, with Thrawn and Ezra along with it, to the unknown regions. After the war, Sabine and Ahsoka set out to find him – and that’s where we’ll meet them in this series.
So we don’t know how big of a role Ezra will play, but he’ll be in the show, and what was long known is now official. It’s really exciting to think about how we’ll be seeing the live-action debuts of beloved characters like Ezra, Sabine (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), Hera (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), and Thrawn (Lars Mikkelson), alongside another beloved animated character who recently made the jump to live-action in Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson).
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