Death Stranding star Tommie Earl Jenkins has been cast in an undisclosed role in Dave Filoni's upcoming Ahsoka Season 2, but is there a chance that he's portraying a familiar face from the Star Wars franchise's past?
If the latest fan theories are to be believed, then Jenkins might just be playing Lando Calrissian. Billy Dee Williams is obviously far too old to play Lando in a story set roughly five years after Return of the Jedi, while Donald Glover—who portrayed the character in 2018's Solo: A Star Wars Story—is too young.
Word of Jenkins' casting first broke in April, and Sabine Wren actress Natasha Liu Bordizzo has since said that Jenkins' scenes in Ahsoka Season 2 "made her cry."
On X, Morai the Messenger posited (via SFFGazette.com), "[He] has a scene that made Natasha cry...now I can tell you we do not have time this season for random or totally new characters to be packing an emotional punch like how she makes it sound."
"During production, Tommy was really only followed by 'known galaxy' crew and actors, Eman included," they continued. "He seemed to be in some scenes with Eman/spent [a] fair amount of time with him on set. Lando has a history with the Ghost Crew from Rebels. Lando is the perfect bridge to the originals as a war hero who can talk about the stakes without needing it to be a wink and a nod."
The Star Wars fan account went on to say, "Tommy is a beloved actor from the video game sphere and a versatile performer who could absolutely bring 1990-1992 Billy Dee Williams to life. If you didn’t stop to think about it...his casting kind of goes under the radar."
It's probably wishful thinking, but the theory makes sense. It would be strange for a random character to make such a strong emotional impact, and Lando's return in Ahsoka would be a nice follow-up to his last encounter with the Star Wars Rebels crew in Season 1's "Idiot's Array."
Eman Esfandi recently said the series features "other well-beloved characters" in Season 2 and promised that "everyone's going to be really happy with them." Lando fits the bill, and after Luke Skywalker showed up in The Mandalorian, another original sequel trilogy character can't be completely off the table (though you might expect a de-aged Williams to appear, the actor is now 89).
We'll have to wait and see, but it's an intriguing prospect and one that only makes Ahsoka's long-awaited return that little bit more exciting. Filoni is the person to make a cameo like this happen, and while the 60-year-old Jenkins is around a decade older than Lando should be at this point in the Star Wars timeline, it could work.
Season 2 continues the story of Ahsoka Tano and her extraordinary journey beyond the known galaxy. As Ahsoka and her Jedi apprentice Sabine Wren travel across a mysterious and perilous world to find their way home, their friends Hera, Ezra, Zeb, and Chopper must face the powerful Grand Admiral Thrawn and his sinister allies, who seek to plunge the New Republic into war.
Ahsoka stars Rosario Dawson, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Lars Mikkelsen, Eman Esfandi, Ivanna Sakhno, Rory McCann, and Hayden Christensen.
The directors are Dave Filoni, Jennifer Getzinger, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Anders Engström. The series is written by Dave Filoni, who also serves as an executive producer along with Jon Favreau and Carrie Beck. Karen Gilchrist is the co-executive producer, and John Bartnicki and Joan Schneider are the producers.
Ahsoka Season 2 premieres on January 20 on Disney+.