A new face will be entering the Star Wars universe as the Ahsoka actress leaves the franchise.
Credit: Lucasfilm
When Ahsoka debuted on Disney+ in August 2023, it functioned as far more than a continuation of a former Jedi’s story—it positioned itself as a crucial linchpin connecting decades of Star Wars mythology.
Created by Dave Filoni and executive-produced by Filoni, Jon Favreau, and Kathleen Kennedy, the series bridges the events of The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, and the post-original trilogy era of 9 ABY, directly tying into The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and the recent Skeleton Crew.
Rosario Dawson leads the ensemble cast as Ahsoka Tano, continuing her search for Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi) while contending with the threat of Grand Admiral Thrawn’s return, with Lars Mikkelsen reprising the role.
The supporting cast includes Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla, Ivanna Sakhno as Shin Hati, the late Ray Stevenson as Baylan Skoll, and Diana Lee Inosanto as Morgan Elsbeth.
Credit: Lucasfilm
Season 1’s cliffhanger left Ahsoka and Sabine stranded on Peridea while Ezra returned to the central galaxy. When Ahsoka Season 2 was confirmed alongside The Mandalorian and Grogu theatrical film for May 2026, questions about the series’ long-term trajectory gained new urgency.
Recent reporting has shed light on Filoni’s approach to the story’s architecture. “According to Daniel Richtman, the plan now is to make sure the series has a satisfying ending in case it’s canceled and doesn’t return for a third season.” The report added, “We hadn’t expected Filoni to tell this story beyond a couple of seasons, anyway, but Disney+ could always push for more episodes if Ahsoka is a big enough hit.”
Credit: Lucasfilm
The series faced a significant challenge with the loss of Ray Stevenson, who delivered a standout performance as Baylan Skoll before his death at 58. THR reported, “Scottish actor Rory McCann, best known for playing the burly brute The Hound on HBO’s Game of Thrones, will replace late actor Ray Stevenson for a second season of Star Wars show Ahsoka, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.”
McCann’s casting was revealed through promotional imagery at Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo.
The recast follows the established pattern of animated-to-live-action transitions, with Rosario Dawson, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Eman Esfandi, and Natasha Liu Bordizzo replacing the original voice cast as their Star Wars Rebels characters transitioned to live-action.
Credit: Lucasfilm
Now, the Mando-Verse–the series of shows and soon-to-be movies that occupy the New Republic timeline–has faced another hiccup as one actress has officially stepped away from production due to a dispute with The Walt Disney Company–the Mouse House, of course, being the owners of the lucrative Lucasfilm franchise.
Ahsoka Actress Leaves the Star Wars Franchise
Claudia Black, known for playing the Nightsister Grand Mother Klothow in the first season of Ahsoka, announced during a recent interview that she will not reprise her role as one of the antagonists for the show’s forthcoming installment. Black’s exit marks another notable cast shift for the Disney+ series as it heads into its next chapter.
Credit: Lucasfilm
The situation emerged from what Black characterized as a fundamental breakdown in the financial terms of her engagement. Originally secured for the continuation, Black found herself unable to proceed once production logistics and pay rates were finalized.
The core issue centered on a geographic mismatch: with filming relocating to London, the compensation structure failed to account for her personal circumstances as a parent managing a Los Angeles-based household.
“They picked up season two,” Black told Bleeding Cool, “picked me up with it, and then Disney, which is structuring things differently these days, could not pay me what I needed to be paid as a single mother to keep all my responsibilities going at home in Los Angeles, because they were filming in London.”
Credit: Lucasfilm
Black’s Ahsoka character functioned as a member of the Nightsister governing council, hailing from Peridea, an extragalactic realm. Throughout Season 1, her character, along with the other Nightsisters–including Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto)–assisted Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) in obstructing the protagonists’ advancement.
Notably, Black reflected on her time with the production in measured, appreciative terms. She characterized the working atmosphere as energetic and highlighted The Volume’s technological innovations as a meaningful advancement in cinema craft.
On a personal note, Black recounted how her son—an enthusiast of The Clone Wars animated series—managed to piece together her involvement from fragmentary details she had inadvertently shared, despite contractual restrictions preventing fuller discussion of her work.
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“He was like, ‘Are you talking about the Nightsisters? What’s the show?’ He heard one little thing, and he was like, ‘I know exactly who she’s talking about,’ so it was fun to go into and do something relatable with him. But, very sad to not be able to continue that at the end of the day.”
Klothow will likely be recast for the second season of Ahsoka since the Nightsisters are seemingly still an integral part of the plot of Thrawn’s return to the galaxy proper. So far, no names have been confirmed or emerged to replace Claudia Black. The new season is slated for 2026 on Disney+.
Credit: Lucasfilm
A Notable Character Evolution
According to Rosario Dawson, Season 2 will showcase Ahsoka’s emotional transformation following her encounter with Anakin Skywalker in the World Between Worlds during the first season. Speaking at Comic-Con Scotland, Dawson revealed that her character will display a markedly different temperament moving forward.
“She had a more of a strong gravitas at the beginning, and she was a little bit more unflappable,” Dawson said. “And I’m liking that she’s relaxing, she’s kind of getting back into her joy.”
Credit: Lucasfilm
The actress elaborated on how the Anakin scenes facilitated this shift: “I think those moments with Hayden Christensen and Anakin were so important for her to heal something so she could be more present. And that’s what I’m really enjoying. I think we get to explore that a lot more in the second season.”
Dawson emphasized the collaborative dimension of this arc: “I’m really glad that we get to add more joy into her life and see her relax a little bit more and work in community a little bit more than she has.”
Credit: Lucasfilm
For a character who has long embodied solitude and restraint—having walked a complex path from disillusioned Jedi to independent operative—this represents a significant tonal shift. After years of navigating the shadows, Ahsoka appears poised to embrace a more integrated existence within the broader galaxy.
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