The Mandalorian Executive Producer Dave Filoni Reveals He’s Open To Changing Star Wars Continuity And Canon
The Mandalorian executive producer Dave Filoni recently revealed that he’s open to changing Star Wars continuity and canon.
Filoni recently opened up about The Mandalorian in a lengthy interview with Vanity Fair, where he discussed Chapter 13: The Jedi.
First, Filoni was asked about Rosario Dawson’s transformation into a live-action version of Ahsoka Tano.
Filoni was asked, “What else had to happen as part of the transformation into Ahsoka?”
He responded, “I said, “Well, Ahsoka’s eyes are blue and yours are not, but I don’t want you to worry about it. If you don’t want to go for that, we can just say that in this version they’re not.”
Fortunately, Rosario Dawson put that suggestion to bed as Filoni detailed, “And Rosario insisted. She’s like, “No, no, no. Let me try it.”
Not only did Filoni reveal that he’s not interested in keeping character designs the same across different mediums between animated versions and live-action versions of Ahsoka Tano, but he also revealed that there is a possibility that the continuity between The Mandalorian and Star Wars Rebels might not be as linear as many would have thought.
Filoni was asked, “The last time fans saw Ahsoka was this spring’s finale of The Clone Wars, but in the actual Star Wars chronology, the last time we saw her was at the end of Rebels, venturing off with Sabine Wren to find Ezra Bridger, who vanished along with Thrawn. Where does that scene fit in with where we find her in The Mandalorian?”
He responded, “Right. But no, it’s an interesting one… That’s not necessarily chronological. I think the thing that people will most not understand is they want to go in a linear fashion, but as I learned as a kid, nothing in Star Wars really works in a linear fashion.”
“You do [Episodes] Four, Five and Six and then One, Two, and Three. So in the vein of that history, when you look at the epilogue of Rebels you don’t really know how much time has passed,” he continued.
Filoni then added, “So, it’s possible that the story I’m telling in The Mandalorian actually takes place prior to that. Possible. I’m saying it’s possible.”
While Filoni makes it clear he’s not making a definitive statement as he uses the word possible three times, he appears to be implying that he’s definitely open to making changes to previously implied events.
In that final episode of Star Wars Rebels that Filoni was asked about, the Mandalorian Sabine Wren provides a monologue that references the Liberation of Lothal, which took place in the same year as the Battle of Yavin IV.
However, Wren makes it clear her monologue takes place after the Battle of Endor and the events of the Return of the Jedi, which was about 5 years after the Battle of Yavin IV.
https://youtu.be/kuY-M63NV-o
She states, “The attack we all anticipated never came. The once invincible Empire had begun to fracture. The small Rebellion had become bold. And with the decisive victory at the Battle of Endor, the Emperor’s reign of terror came to an end.”
Wren continued, “After the war, Zeb took Kallus along the secret hyperspace path to the planet Lira San. It was then that Kallus realized he hadn’t destroyed the Lasat people, and that they were thriving on this new world. A world where he was welcome as one of them.”
She would go on to state, “Hera fought in the Battle of Endor as did Commander Rex. By that time, there had been a new member added to the crew of the Ghost. Spectre-7, Jacen Syndulla. Born to fly just like his mother. And, well, we all know what his father was like.”
“As for me, I used to think that Ezra was counting on me to protect Lothal, the planet and the people he cared for so much. But one day, I realized there was more to it. There was something else I was meant to do. Ezra’s out there somewhere, and it’s time to bring him home,” Sabine concluded.
The implication of the clip at the time was that Ahsoka came to get Sabine following the Battle of Endor to seek out Ezra. However, given Filoni’s recent comments, it’s now possible that the events in The Mandalorian took place before the epilogue of Star Wars Rebels.
According to a report from Polygon after attending a panel at Star Wars Celebration back in 2019, series showrunner Jon Favreau revealed the first season of The Mandalorian took place 5 years after Return of the Jedi and 25 years before the events of The Force Awakens.
This would mean that it’s possible Ahsoka didn’t seek out Sabine until after her first encounter with the Child of the Watch, Din Djarin.
If this does end up being the case, it fits in with Bob Iger’s plans to spin-off shows from The Mandalorian.
Iger stated on Disney’s investor call back in February, “The priority in the next few years is television with The Mandalorian Season 2 coming in October and then more coming from The Mandalorian thereafter, including the possibility of infusing it with more characters and the possibility of taking those characters in their own direction in terms of series.”
It’s possible that Ahsoka and Sabine’s mission to find Ezra could be spun out of The Mandalorian into its own live-action series, although the most recent rumors indicated this would be a new animated series.
Related: Alleged Star Wars Rebels Sequel Plot Details Leak
Back in January there were rumors that an alleged Star Wars Rebels sequel series was in development that would primarily follow Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Filoni actually addressed rumors and the possibility of more live-action Star Wars Rebels characters back in May.
He stated, “I think that there’s always potential for stories that involve the characters from Rebels, which is maybe a better way to put it.”
“They’ve all earned their place in the galaxy, so to speak, so I’m sure there’s some more of them to do,” he added.
Filoni even hinted that Sabine Wren’s story involving the Darksaber might be on the table.
He detailed, “Oh, I think it’s possible. I mean, it’s definitely something that I left hanging at the end and part of that reason is just it’s always nice in my mind when there’s another story.”
“I like things in a series, even when I read or watch them, and there’s always a bit of sadness when something does come to an end, so potential is a great thing. I love that people are thinking about these stories in the same way that I wondered about many stories,” Filoni continued.
Filoni then stated, “As a kid I wondered what happened to Luke after Return of the Jedi and all my heroes. I think it’s a natural part of enjoying this, and I think there’s always potential for further stories.”
He then concluded, “Certainly, I will say it’s something I’ve given a decent amount of thought to, so you never know when or if it will actually ever take shape.””
What do you make of Filoni’s comments? Are you interested in seeing what he has planned for the future of Star Wars?
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