‘The Mandalorian’ Season 2 : Is Sasha Banks Playing Sabine Wren?

The Mandalorian Season 2 trailer finally dropped this morning giving fans a sneak peek at what’s next for the stoic warrior named Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and everyone’s best boy, Baby Yoda. However, lurking in the shadows of the trailer was a face familiar to wrestling fans. Yep, that was “Legit Boss” Sasha Banks looking all stoic like a Jedi, or Night Sister, or Sith, or something else midway through The Mandalorian Season 2 trailer. Nope, not Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka Tano (who would have face markings and horns and look like Rosario Dawson). However, Sasha Banks could be playing someone else familiar to Star Wars Rebels audiences. Sabine Wren.

Hardcore Star Wars fans know that there’s way more to the saga outside the Skywalker-centric movies. Animated series like Star Wars: Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels introduced new figures key to the series like Anakin Skywalker’s padawan Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi’s most trusted clone warrior, Captain Rex, and runaway Jedi like Kanan Jarus. While we know that The Mandalorian will finally give us a live action version of Ahsoka via Rosario Dawson, it’s completely possible we’ll meet even more of these fan favorites. And The Mandalorian Season 2 trailer might have just teased the return of Mandalorian rebel Sabine Wren.

So who is Sabine Wren, why is it possible that Sasha Banks could be playing her, and what other roles could the WWE superstar possibly be playing in The Mandalorian Season 2? Get your tin foil hats on, people. We’re going theorizing!

WHO IS SASHA BANKS AND WHO IS SHE PLAYING IN THE MANDALORIAN?

Sasha Banks, real name Mercedes Justine Kaestner-Varnado, is a professional wrestler known for her work with the WWE. She, along with real life BFF Bayley, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair, are known to fans as “the Four Horsewomen.” During their time in the developmental league called NXT, all four wrestlers started pushing the boundaries on what female wrestlers were expected to do. Focusing on gripping storylines, incredible athleticism, and hardcore promos, they proved that women could mainline big events and be equally as respected as male wrestlers. (Honestly her Hell in the Cell match with Becky Lynch last year was so good it was a highlight of 2019 for me last year.)

Banks is currently attached to the WWE’s Friday night live show SmackDown, and earlier this month was turned “Face,” or hero when Bayley turned on her.

Sasha Banks is introduced about halfway through The Mandalorian trailer. The Armorer (Emily Swallow) tells Djardin that the Child has to be reunited with his people, the Jedi, who are the traditional nemeses of the Mandalorians. On the word “Jedi,” we see Banks, cloaked in black, for the first time. She is spying on the Mandalorian and Baby Yoda while Mando scoffs at the idea of giving his little buddy to a “race of enemy sorcerers.” We then see Banks’s character disappear into the ether.

The obvious implication is that Banks is playing a new Force-sensitive character. She may be a Jedi trained in the early days of Luke Skywalker’s attempt to bring back the Order. She might be a Sith or Nightsister. She may even be an apprentice of Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson). If she is at all connected to Ahsoka, though, she could also be…Sabine Wren.

WHO IS SABINE WREN IN STAR WARS AND WHY COULD SASHA BANKS BE PLAYING HER IN THE MANDALORIAN SEASON 2?

Allow me to take a victory lap because I have been gunning for Sasha Banks as Sabine Wren since rumors started circulating that she was attached to The Mandalorian Season 2 last spring. Here’s why it’s possible that Sasha Banks is playing Sabine Wren…

First of all, Sabine Wren was a Mandalorian character introduced in Star Wars Rebels. However, she’s nothing like the stoic Mandalorians we’ve met before. She’s a creative soul. A graffiti artist. An ardent warrior for liberty. Also she’s pals with a bunch of renegade Jedi. In fact, when we first meet her, she’s part of runaway Jedi Kanan Jarrus’s band of rebels. When we last saw her? Yep, she was going off with Ahsoka Tano to search for Jedi pal Ezra Bridger. (There was also a whole subplot about looking for the Darksaber, a weapon we know Giancarlo Esposito’s Moff Gideon has.)

Thematically, Sabine Wren would be the perfect bridge character connecting the Jedi-wary Mandalorian to Baby Yoda’s “people.” She understands both cultures and could convince Mando that not all Force-users are bad.

Timeline-wise, Sabine Wren would likely in her early to mid-20s during the events of The Mandalorian. She would be the same age as…Sasha Banks. Not to mention that Banks has more than a passing resemblance to the animated character. Oh, and we already know that The Mandalorian Season 2 will feature not only Ahsoka in the flesh, but other animated characters like Mandalorian warrior Bo-Katan (played by Katee Sackoff). There’s also a strong chance that Temura Morrison isn’t just coming to play Boba Fett on The Mandalorian Season 2, but Captain Rex. Given all this…it’s not a leap to suggest that Sabine Wren could have a part to play, too.

However, as far as we know Sabine Wren isn’t a Force user. But that doesn’t necessarily mean Banks is playing one, either. Sabine Wren also is known for her colorful Mandalorian armor and hair. Which could be hidden under that black cloak.

Basically, Sasha Banks could be playing anyone in The Mandalorian Season 2 and it’s not wild to guess that it could be Sabine Wren. No matter what, though, we better get to see Sasha Banks vs. Gina Carano in a no holds barred match.

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