Rumors suggest that Eman Esfandi’s Ezra Bridger could be the next character to get a solo Star Wars series. Bridger has been a part of the Star Wars franchise since 2014 when he made his debut in the animated TV series Star Wars Rebels. While Taylor Gray voiced Bridger for the series, Esfandi will be taking over for the character’s live-action debut in the upcoming series Ahsoka.
In the Star Wars universe, Bridger was born just days after Palpatine established the Galactic Empire. His parents became prisoners of the Empire, leaving Bridger alone for many years. Unaware that he was force-sensitive, he lived on the streets and committed petty crimes for a time. However, eventually, he met up with the rebel group known as the Ghost Crew and joined them in a mission to save his hometown of Lothal from the Empire. During this time, he was taken under the wing of Jedi Kanan Jarrus (Freddie Prinze Jr.), who taught him the ways of the Force.
As Bridger matured as an individual and grew as a Jedi, he became a prominent figure in the Rebel Alliance. In the end, he seemingly sacrificed himself to stop the villain Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen), and disappeared into the Unknown Regions of space. However, he will be making his long-awaited return in the Ahsoka series scheduled for release in 2023. The series will reportedly follow Ahsoka on her mission to find Bridger and Thrawn, thus, continuing the Star Wars Rebels storyline. With Bridger coming back to the Star Wars universe, rumors have arisen about him having his own story, too.
Will Esfandi’s Bridger get his own Star Wars series?
The DisInsider was the first to report on the rumor that Esfandi’s Bridger will get his own solo Star Wars series. DisInsider got the information from a scoop from industry insider Daniel Richtman. For now, it is just a rumor and it lacks specifics. The show’s place in the Star Wars timeline is unclear, but it reportedly primarily focuses on Bridger rather than the Ghost crew as a whole and will premiere sometime after Ahsoka.
If Bridger were to get a solo Star Wars series, it wouldn’t be surprising. Star Wars has been heavily exploring this solo TV show format with the likes of The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Star Wars: Andor. Meanwhile, Bridger arose as a clear fan favorite from his appearance in Star Wars Rebels. Now that he is crossing over into the live-action realm, it is likely the franchise would want to capitalize on his popularity.
The fact is, we have been waiting almost 5 years for Bridger to return to the Star Wars franchise. Fans immediately suspected that the character was lost, but not gone, after the series finale of Star Wars Rebels. With Ahsoka looking for him and her subsequent appearances in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, many have been anticipating the re-appearance of Bridger. Now that he is seemingly back in the franchise and has a live-action counterpart, he would be an alluring character to develop a solo series after. Only time will tell, though, if Star Wars truly intends to give Esfandi a solo series before he has even made his live-action debut as Bridger.
(via: The DisInsider, featured image: Screengrab)
