WWE’s Sasha Banks breaks silence after Mandalorian character revealed

After months of speculation, The Mandalorian finally revealed who Sasha Banks is playing on the Disney+ Star Wars spin-off series.

For a long time, fans were left in the dark over who the WWE superstar – real name Mercedes Varnado – would be playing on the show. She briefly showed up in the trailer for Season 2 back in September, but details surrounding her appearance were shrouded in mystery.

The big rumor among the fanbase was that Banks would be playing Sabine Wren, a Mandalorian from the animated series Star Wars Rebels who once possessed the Darksaber. This was backed up by a synopsis that promised “unexpected allies” arriving to help the show’s protagonist Mando.

Well, now we finally have our answer: Banks is not playing Sabine Wren. She is a Mandalorian, though.

In Chapter 11 of the Star Wars spin-off, which was released on Disney+ on Friday November 13, the WWE superstar made her long-awaited debut, appearing as part of a trio of Mandalorians led by Katee Sackhoff’s Bo-Katan Kryze.

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While Banks’ character isn’t named in the episode, she’s listed as Koska Reeves on IMDB. The third Mandalorian who appeared in the episode, played by Agents of SHIELD star Simon Kassianides, is named Axe Woves.

Sasha Banks is “so thankful” to join The Mandalorian

Now that Banks can finally talk about her role on the show, she took to social media to express her excitement at joining the beloved Star Wars franchise through The Mandalorian. She uploaded a selfie in front of a TV screen with her real name – Mercedes Varnado – in the end credits.

“Can’t stop screaming, crying and smiling,” she wrote alongside a heart emoji. Over on Instagram, she added, “I have so many words but I’m really just taking in this moment. I’m so thankful.”

 

Banks’ character didn’t get too much screen time (or dialogue) in the episode, so we’re hoping to see more of her in the future. Viewers seemed more than happy with her appearance, though.

• Read more: Star Wars Solo director reveals what it would take for sequel to happen

There’s plenty more Star Wars goodness coming to Disney+ over the next couple of years. There’s a Rogue One prequel series, an Obi-Wan series, an untitled female-led series, and the animated Star Wars: The Bad Batch series to look forward to.

In the meantime, you can catch new episodes of The Mandalorian Season 2 on Disney+ every Friday.