This being the first we’ve ever heard of Marrok, the obvious guess would be the character is actually Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi) in disguise. For those not familiar with the animated side of “Star Wars,” Ezra was one of the heroes in “Star Wars Rebels” and a Jedi in training. He vanished into hyperspace during the series finale battling Grand Admiral Thrawn (Mads Mikkelsen, who also voiced the character on “Rebels”), which is why Ahsoka Tano and the other “Rebels” leads are searching for both Thrawn and Ezra when “Ahsoka” picks up years later in the “Mandalorian” era (aka. The New Republic).
Has Ezra turned to the dark side in the years since he went missing? Or is he a double agent serving Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto) to keep tabs on Thrawn and discover what he and the remaining forces of the Galactic Empire are up to? Either twist feels fairly plausible in the operatic world of “Star Wars.” It also wouldn’t be the first time the franchise used misdirection to throw savvy fans off the scent, in which case Darnell could very well be serving as Esfandi’s stunt double rather than playing his own unique character (much like he’s done in his past “Star Wars” appearances).
Lest we get too carried away, it’s best to recall that mysterious masked enforcers are nothing unusual for “Star Wars.” Indeed, Marrok might be nothing more than hired muscle for the bad guys on “Ahsoka” and one whose backstory may or may not be fleshed out in a separate project (again, see Boba Fett). Still, as a villain in a completely different franchise once observed, “No one cared who I was till I put on the mask,” so either way, Disney and Lucasfilm have already gotten what they wanted here.
“Ahsoka” begins streaming August 23, 2023, on Disney+.