Revisiting Rosario Dawson's Most Underrated Role!

 

It’s almost officially official: Rosario Dawson will play Ahsoka Tano in season two of "The Mandalorian".

 

Fans have been pushing for this casting for quite some time now; BossLogic even created an image of the actress in character back in 2017.

 

 

V2 no fusion @rosariodawson as Ahsoka Tano pic.twitter.com/nJs7PjHbLQ

— BossLogic (@Bosslogic) February 11, 2017

 

As recently as October of last year, Dawson has said she’d be into the idea. Having already worked in the MCU for three years, she clearly has the in with Disney.

 

But at this point, neither LucasFilm, nor Disney, nor Dawson have officially confirmed the casting announcement – but they also haven’t denied it, which is something they’re usually pretty quick at.

 

So, while we wait for true validation on this, let’s revisit one of Dawson’s older roles, shall we? One that tends to go overlooked but, thanks to Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, is currently available for streaming on Disney+ alongside "The Mandalorian".

 

Way back before she was MCU icon Claire Temple, Rosario Dawson was Persephone in Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief. And ten years later, the small role still holds up.

 

But really, how could it not, with an entrance like this one?

 

 

 

Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t this technically make Rosario Dawson a Disney princess? Even if it is, well, Princess of Hell.

 

Persephone certainly fits the bill. Not only does she sass her captor, but she actively works against him in the cleverest of maneuvers. She has a plan for her freedom, even if it is only partial freedom.

 

It’s one of those roles that you almost forget Rosario Dawson did. She had less than 10 minutes of screen time, and though she was a key component in the final act of the film, you still probably found yourself saying, “Oh dang, I forgot she was in that movie,” when I brought it up.

 

In this case, less than 10 minutes on screen is a crime, to be frank. As film adaptations go, Percy Jackson was a mess. There’s no getting around it. It’s a fun movie, it just deviates from the books in big ways.

 

And yet, Persephone was a high point. It allowed Dawson to flex in all the best ways -- she got to be funny (truly, I’ll never not laugh at “Or WHAT! WHAT WILL YOU DO?”), she got to play with subtle emotions, and she got to be a badass.

 

 

 

Honestly, give me more of Rosario Dawson wielding lightning bolts in the future. (Two lightsabers is pretty close too, so let’s confirm this Ahsoka Tano news, please.)

 

At the end of the day, Percy Jackson is also just a good reminder of the off-the-wall things Rosario Dawson is willing to do and characters she’s willing to play. Trust me, if you need a good self-isolation movie, The Lightning Thief is your go-to.

 

(If you skip to the end just to see Persephone, I won’t tell on you).