A prevalent Star Wars Rebels voice actor has revealed which Legends character she would like to portray in Star Wars canon: Mara Jade. Mara Jade played a big role in the original Star Wars sequel stories told in Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire trilogy and beyond. Given the promise of upcoming Star Wars movies telling a similar story, Jade has been one of the characters most theorized to be reintroduced to canon Star Wars.
Interestingly, Vanessa Marshall who voiced Hera Syndulla in Star Wars Rebels has expressed her desire to bring Mara Jade to life. In an interview with Collider, Marshal was asked if she would like to be part of Dave Filoni’s upcoming Star Wars TV shows or movies in live-action after working closely with the filmmaker on Rebels. Marshall responded:
“I would love to play Mara Jade. Can you call Dave Filoni and just let him know that I’d love to play Mara Jade? I think we would all just like to be in live-action in some way. We haven’t had the opportunity to do it yet. But my background is in live-action.”
These comments from Marshall highlight two aspects. The most obvious is Marshall’s willingness to portray Mara Jade, a character for whom she holds an evident love. The second is that Marshall, along with the other actors responsible for bringing the characters of Star Wars Rebels to life through voice, would like the opportunity to perform in live-action. Ahsoka saw most Rebels characters recast, leaving the opportunity for Marshall and other voice actors to make the jump to live-action Star Wars in another role.
Will Mara Jade Ever Appear In Star Wars Canon?
Concerning Marshall’s comments about Mara Jade specifically, the question remains over whether the character will ever appear in Star Wars canon. The reality is that this question will be difficult to answer until more is revealed about Dave Filoni’s The Mandalorian movie set to adapt Heir to the Empire. The latter story featured the original trilogy characters to a large extent, something that will be difficult for the upcoming movie to adapt for a myriad of reasons. As such, other characters like Ahsoka Tano, Din Djarin, and the live-action crew of Star Wars Rebels have been set up to replace Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and Han Solo.
This seems to hint that Mara Jade will not appear in Star Wars canon. The reason for this links to her connection with Luke Skywalker, with whom she forms a tentative bond in Heir to the Empire that ultimately leads to their marriage. With the Star Wars sequels not hinting at this story for Luke between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, it is unlikely Mara Jade will appear in canon in the same capacity. That said, there is always hope for a Mara Jade appearance in a somewhat different role from how she began her journey in the 1990s, potentially even portrayed by Star Wars Rebels‘ Vanessa Marshall.
