During a somewhat clumsy Good Morning America appearance, The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau cleared up the confusion about when two of the upcoming Star Wars series announced during the recent Disney Investor Day extravaganza: Ahsoka and Rangers of the New Republic, will be set.
The moment fan favourite Ashoka Tano made her live action debut with her iconic white lightsabers in the Mandolorian, we sensed a disturbance in the force. In a good way, of course. The last time seasoned fans saw Ashoka, was at the end Star Wars Rebels where she and Sabine (another Mandolorian we can’t wait to see!) were still searching the galaxy for their friend and Jedi Ezra Bridger and their nemesis, Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Favreau said that his Mandalorian executive producer (and creator of the character, back on the animated Clone Wars series) Dave Filoni will be writing and producing Ahsoka. According to Favreau, the new spinoff will be set during the timeline of The Mandalorian and, we think, the story will involve her still looking for Ezra and tracking down the evil Grand Admiral Thrawn. If this happens, it would signal the live-action debut of one of the more iconic Star Wars villains, and beloved Mandalorian Sabine Wren. Fans will also remember that in Season 2 Episode 5 of the Mandalorian titled ‘The Jedi’, Ashoka did ask about the whereabouts of Thrawn, which leads us into believing that the Ashoka series will pick up from there.
As for Rangers of the New Republic, that one sounds like it will be spearheaded by Favreau. What’s more interesting is that, while both spinoffs are set in the general timeline of The Mandalorian, he let slip that it would be set “right after” the events of Return of the Jedi, a movie that holds a very special place in Favreau’s heart.
Here is what we are theorising. The Season 3 Finale of the Mandalorian will be the crossover event just like how the MCU has been doing with all it’s characters for years. Imagine, Ashoka is having trouble in locating Thrawn and calls upon the services of our favourite Mandalorian, Din Djarin. In that episode Din Djarin tells Ashoka about ‘Grogu’ (fine, Baby Yoda) finding the Jedi he was looking for. In the same episode, Ashoka introduces us to yet another Mandolorian, Sabine Wren. The episode ends with Ashoka telling him that if he ever needs them, they are there.
We don’t know much about the Rangers of the New Republic, but the synopsis does mention a juicy line, “Star Wars: Rangers of the New Republic is a forthcoming live-action television series. It was announced on December 10, 2020 and it will be executive produced by Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau. The series will culminate in a crossover event with The Mandalorian and Star Wars: Ahsoka.” (Wait! Whaaaaaaaatt!)
So we are hoping (and praying to the great master Yoda and the Force) that this happens. Imagine. JUST IMAGINE! A “portals” like scenario in the Season Finale, and we see Boba Fett, Fennec, Cara Dune, Bo Katan, Koska Reeves, Sabine Wren, Ashoka Tano, Ezra Bridger, Luke Skywalker and and and, Baby Yoda. The music builds up as they are all revealed one by one, up until the crescendo and it drops with Luke, Ashoka and Ezra igniting their lightsabers, followed by the Din Djarin igniting the Dark Saber and finally, Baby Yoda igniting a tiny saber of his own.
Okay fine we agree, we are getting way ahead of ourselves here, but we all live by the same teachings of the Great Master Yoda, “Truly wonderful, the mind of a child is.”
