We’ve wondered for a while now who might bring Star Wars‘ Ezra Bridger to life in live-action…We might know who it is.
[Update: This afternoon, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed our initial report that Eman Esfandi is playing Ezra Bridger. Original article follows below…]
This is actually a report I’ve been sitting on for a while now. It originally came to me randomly (without any outreach on my part), and I wasn’t able to put more than a single source behind it, so I let it rest. Over the past couple weeks, however, I started hearing the name more and more via various whispers. Today, however, I managed to hear from another source who was adamant about the casting.
Courtesy /Eman Esfandi
Eman Esfandi (The Inspection, King Richard) is Ezra Bridger in Star Wars: Ahsoka. For a while, Mena Massoud was rumored to be playing the part, but it seems that never came to be. Instead, Esfandi will be picking up the role from Taylor Gray, who voiced the Jedi freedom fighter in Star Wars Rebels.
Bridger is set to make his live-action debut in Ahsoka (which is currently filming). At the end of Star Wars Rebels, the character “sacrificed” himself in order to stop Thrawn, with the final scene being Ahsoka picking up Sabine on the planet Lothal in order to go and find him. It’s a plot point that’s already been alluded to in live-action thanks to The Mandalorian‘s second season, but will come into focus in the new series.
As for who will play Thrawn against Esfandi’s Ezra…? Hard to say. I’ve heard conflicting stories from sources I trust. Months ago, I heard Lars Mikkelsen (who voiced the Grand Admiral in the cartoon) would NOT be playing the live-action version. Just today, I heard he was Thrawn. As such I can’t say anything conclusive, but if you were hoping to see Lars as Thrawn, there’s your spark of hope.
Star Wars: Ahsoka is set to hit Disney+ at some point in 2023.
Disney/Lucasfilm Reps did not respond when reached for comment.
