New Ahsoka Episodes Will Hit Disney+ On Tuesday Evenings, Starting With The Premiere
Did anyone else feel that? It's as if millions of voices suddenly cried out over the same news, but for very different reasons. For those of us in the United States, the release of new Marvel or "Star Wars" shows on Disney+ has traditionally meant staying up either until midnight or (for us East Coasters) three in the morning in order to catch new episodes before the internet completely spoiled every surprise. But as much as us snobby Americans cried foul over this release schedule, it certainly felt like the most diplomatic way for the greatest amount of people around the world to enjoy each new series at relatively decent hours during the day.
Well, there's definitely been a disturbance in the Force with the release of the upcoming "Ahsoka" series, which just enjoyed largely positive first reactions from those who were able to screen the first two episodes ahead of time. In a major twist, the official "Star Wars" Twitter account announced today that fans will be in for a serious adjustment. Rather than debut on Wednesdays at 12AM PT/3AM ET, each new episode of "Ahsoka" will now begin streaming on Disney+ at the much more manageable hour (again, from a filthy Americentric perspective) of Tuesdays at 6PM PT/9PM ET.
That sound you hear is hundreds of North American film journalists taking to the streets to celebrate, in lockstep with countless fans who now get a chance to watch a new and highly-anticipated "Star Wars" series pretty much as soon as the work day ends. Of course, these celebrations (I'm picturing the end of "Return of the Jedi," personally) will likely be cancelled out by our unfortunate colleagues and counterparts across much of Europe and the rest of the world. We can't have it all!
Ahsoka's new release schedule
Is Disney and Lucasfilm testing the waters for a new standard of streaming releases moving forward, or is this just a one-time thing? That remains to be seen, but either way it sure looks like the Rosario Dawson-starring "Ahsoka" series, the brainchild of "Star Wars" guru Dave Filoni, will be the guinea pig for this unexpected release strategy over the next few weeks. Whether this is good news or bad news largely depends on where in the world you live.
Thank you to all the fans who celebrated with us at our @AhsokaOfficial fan events around the world last night!
We're excited to announce that new episodes of #Ahsoka will now launch Tuesdays at 6PM PT, starting with our two-episode premiere on August 22, only on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/Z2XqAqBiIC
— Star Wars (@starwars) August 18, 2023
Not only will "Ahsoka" usher in the most significant attempt to bring the "Star Wars" animated universe into the fold of the rest of the franchise in live action, but it will also serve as a testing ground for a new streaming release — one that us ever-vocal North Americans have been crying about for years. "Ahsoka" now has a new premiere date, slated for Tuesday, August 22, 2023 at 6PM PT/9PM ET sharp. Excitingly, the series will debut with two back-to-back episodes, before releasing one a week every following Tuesday.
Will this adjusted schedule prevent Disney+ from overloading, like it routinely has on previous debuts for buzzy "Star Wars" or Marvel shows in years past? Will the outcry of millions of fans worldwide (many of whom are already pouring into the replies of that above tweet) convince Disney and Lucasfilm that they might've made a terrible mistake? All of this remains to be seen!
"Ahsoka" follows the continuing adventures of Ahsoka Tano as she reunites with many of the characters from "Star Wars: Rebels." The series stars Dawson, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as ace pilot and general Hera Syndulla, Natasha Liu Bordizzo as the stubborn Mandalorian Sabine Wren, the late Ray Stevenson as the villainous Baylan Skoll, and more.