Mary Elizabeth Winstead's Thrilling Live-Action Debut as Hera in Ahsoka on Disney Plus

The Twi'lek pilot and rebel hero Hera Syndulla, who was last seen in animated form on Star Wars Rebels (and voiced by Vanessa Marshall), will be making her live-action debut in the upcoming Star Wars series Ahsoka on Disney Plus. Birds of Prey star Mary Elizabeth Winstead has been cast to play the role, and she couldn't be more thrilled about it.

Ahsoka appears to be a continuation of Star Wars Rebels, with several characters from the animated series making their live-action debut. This includes the artistic Mandalorian Sabine Wren, originally voiced by Tiya Sircar, played by Natasha Liu Bordizzo, and the young Jedi Ezra Bridger, previously voiced by Taylor Gray, played by Eman Esfandi. Alongside Rosario Dawson as the Togruta Jedi Ahsoka Tano, they'll be joined by Winstead, who will be taking on the role of Hera. But what was the process like for Winstead to step into an already-established Star Wars character?

During a recent interview on Entertainment Weekly's Dagobah Dispatch podcast, Winstead expressed her delight in having a character with an established backstory to draw upon for her performance. She stated, "As an actor, it's incredible to have a character who's already existed and has such a rich history on something like Rebels. Sometimes, we're tasked with creating our own backstories or trying to flesh out a character that doesn't really have much on the page. To play a character with seasons of storylines, complex relationships, and experiences was truly a unique and fulfilling experience for me."

Winstead has experience playing previously-established characters, having previously portrayed Huntress in Birds of Prey. However, unlike that role, Ahsoka features established versions of characters such as Hera from Star Wars Rebels, which makes sense given the shared creator, Dave Filoni. Winstead found it helpful to have Rebels as a reference and Filoni on set to consult with daily.

As the leader of the Ghost crew, Hera's maternal instincts combined with her leadership skills intrigued Winstead. Hera's rise from a crew leader to a general, and the legend she became, was something the actress found inspiring. Winstead admired how Hera could be both soft and warm, providing advice and comfort to her crew, while also being a strong leader. She saw this as an aspirational quality for both women and people in general.

It's not just Lars Mikkelsen's return as Thrawn that has fans excited for Ahsoka - there's also the prospect of seeing beloved characters like Hera brought to life by new actors. Thankfully, Mary Elizabeth Winstead is more than up to the task, and fans can rest easy knowing that the Twi'lek general is in good hands. Of course, there's also the question of whether Chopper will retain his infamous love of war crimes in the transition to live-action. Fans will have to wait until August 2023, when Ahsoka premieres on Disney Plus, to find out for sure.