There were more than a few satisfying moments that played out on Ahsoka, which Disney+ subscribers streamed for weeks. What may have been the most gratifying, though, was the return of Ezra Bridger, who reunited with Sabine Wren, the series’ eponymous Jedi and more. Bridger was introduced as a younger man in the animated series Star Wars Rebels, on which he was voiced by Taylor Gray. The live-action iteration of Bridger is portrayed by Eman Esfandi, who absolutely nailed the part. With that, you may be surprised to learn that Esfandi didn’t watch all of Rebels while preparing for the role. And truth be told, I totally understand his reasoning.
When stepping into the role of a popular pre-established character, an actor has to meet some serious expectations. That’s something Eman Esfandi along with co-stars like Natasha Liu Bordizzo (Sabine Wren) and Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Hera Syndulla), had to face. Considering that, some may have been tempted to think that Esfandi would’ve made it a priority to watch every single installment of Rebels he could before getting to set. However, as he explained at L.A. Comic Con (via The Direct), he opted not to do that so he wouldn’t get consumed in that show’s interpretation of Ezra:
I admittedly - which, if you would have found this out prior you might have taken my head off, but maybe now you don't think that - I didn't watch all of 'Rebels'. I didn't want to get too caught up in the younger version of Ezra. I felt very connected to an older version the way he was written.
Though I’m a fan of the animated series and love that version of Bridger, I definitely see where the rising star is coming from. He’s playing the same character that appeared on that show, but his version is different in a few key ways. By not getting too caught up in those episodes, he was able to create enough distance between himself and young Ezra. He later mentioned, though, that he did make it a point to watch certain episodes for character interactions:
And I watched the episodes where [Ezra] had scenes very intimately with like Sabine and the Spectre crew and Ahsoka in particular. And just to understand that dynamic. Obviously, the hologram message, and also my TikTok became flooded with the scene--rest in peace Kanan. So I was inundated with a lot of it.
I won’t argue with Eman Esfandi’s methods due to the solid results. Fans – who’d like to see other Rebels reveals if the show continues – seemed to enjoy Esfandi’s take on the formerly missing Jedi. Esfandi apparently even received praise before the series debuted this past August as part of the 2023 TV schedule. The actor explained the feedback he received from his colleagues while on set:
But I didn't watch it until after the show. Because Dave [Filoni], and everyone else who was directing me were so like, reaffirming. Like, 'no, yeah, that's Ezra. Oh, that's also so Ezra. And we'd be backstage, that's Ezra. I was like, okay, so then I think we're good. Like, I'll watch it later. So I didn't actually do the immersion thing until all the way after shooting.
Ahsoka’s take on Ezra definitely has shades of the character fans were introduced to nearly a decade ago, as his loyal, playful and heroic nature is still intact. Though he appears to be a lot more mature at this point and has likely been somewhat changed by his time on Peridea. Additionally, he’s also much more in tune with the Force by this point.
The show’s season finale – which featured callbacks to Clone Wars and Rebels – ended with Bridger escaping Peridea and meeting up with Hera, buzzy droid Chopper and other members of the New Republic. What lies ahead for the hero remains a mystery, but it’d be shocking if he didn’t pop up again at some point. Whatever the case, I’m just hopeful that Eman Esfandi reprises the role and once again brings his cerebral approach to it.
You can still stream Ahsoka Season 1 as well as all four seasons of Star Wars Rebels alongside some of the best Disney+ original shows.
