Professional wrestler Mercedes Moné almost lost out on appearing in the hit Star Wars live-action series The Mandalorian, because her bosses at the WWE were against it. In an interview with New York sports radio station WFAN, Moné was promoting her upcoming AEW pay-per-view event when the discussion turned to her time in the WWE and her role in The Mandalorian. Moné said the WWE did not want her to appear in the series, and made it difficult for her get time off for filming. She said that resistance played a part in her leaving the WWE in 2022 for their rival, Tony Khan’s AEW, who was more receptive to her acting career. She told WFAN of WWE’s restrictive attitude:
“That’s definitely a big reason why I came to AEW. Even doing The Mandalorian was pulling teeth with the WWE, to even try and get time off to film that show. Tony (Khan) says, whatever I need. If I need the private jet to go from filming in LA to coming for a show, it’s available for me.”
In 2020, Moné joined the series’ second season’s third episode, playing Koska Reeves, a Mandalorian warrior who serves alongside Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff). Their group of Mandalorians save Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu (aka Baby Yoda) from a watery grave, while on their own quest to find the Darksaber and reclaim Mandalore. Moné was credited in the series under her real name, Mercedes Varnado, but at the time, she was best known as Sasha Banks, WWE wrestler. And the WWE, which Moné sarcastically refers to as “the other company,” was not happy with her side gig.
Mercedes Moné’s Future in the Star Wars Saga
With the support of her new bosses at AEW, Moné is hopeful for her future in Star Wars. With the series possibly dropping plans for a season four altogether and going to the big screen instead with The Mandalorian & Grogu, set to film later this year, Monè hopes to have a role in the film, or any film, for that matter. She told TV Insider:
“Besides freakin’ Star Wars, I would love to be in a movie. I would love to put Koska Reeves in a Mandalorian movie. That would be incredible. I would love to be in any type of series like Fast & Furious, anything my brother would like. He likes action movies.”
After her appearance in The Mandalorian, Moné made her feature film debut in the 2023 Lucas Till action film The Collective, alongside Ruby Rose and Tyrese Gibson. The Mandalorian & Grogu is scheduled to release in theaters on May 22, 2026, and Pedro Pascal is the only cast member confirmed for the film so far. However, the film’s plot is rumored to involve the retaking of the planet of Mandalore, which would necessitate the return of other Mandalorians like Koska Reeves.
