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The first Star Wars movie in seven years, The Mandalorian and Grogu, is now playing in theaters. But before Disney scooped up Lucasfilm for a cool $4.5bn, Star Wars was in a very precarious place, and Ahsoka voice actor Ashley Eckstein credits animated series The Clone Wars with turning that around.
Speaking at MCM Expo, where the cast of The Clone Wars were reunited on stage, Eckstein talked about being a Star Wars pioneer, as the voice of Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano on The Clone Wars.
“For us, it’s easy to forget, but when Clone Wars was on the air, there was no other Star Wars. We thought Star Wars was done," Eckestein said. "This was before Disney bought it and we were the only thing on the air… Without the success of Clone Wars we might not be seeing Mandalorian, Boba Fett, etcetera.”
It's a fair point, as much of Star Wars' recent output (Andor aside) has spun out from the world established by The Clone Wars. The Mandalorian season 3, in particular, featured numerous story threads that tied back to The Clone Wars, while Ahsoka, Maul – Shadow Lord, and The Bad Batch all pick up with characters and events depicted in The Clone Wars and Rebels.
Whether this is a good thing for Star Wars is debatable. The Mandalorian season 3 is widely considered the show's weakest season, in part because of its connections to Star Wars' animated output. The influence is plain as day, though: Rebels fan-favorite Zeb Orrelios plays a noteworthy supporting role in The Mandalorian and Grogu, while Ahsoka season 2 will further the story of The Clone Wars and Rebels in live action.
Originally, The Mandalorian season 4 would have set up the new season of Ahsoka in a major way, but Favreau started from scratch after pivoting to a feature instead of a new season. As it stands, The Mandalorian and Grogu continues the adventures of Din Djarin and his tiny green ward. But despite being a "standalone" story, the new movie does feature "subtle stuff that relates to Ahsoka season 2." We've got a wait to find out what, exactly, as Ahsoka season 2 won't hit Disney Plus until early 2027.
The Mandalorian and Grogu is in theaters now. For more, check out our list of upcoming Star Wars movies or here's how to watch The Clone Wars in order.
