Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, the actor who portrays the New Republic‘s Captain Carson Teva in The Mandalorian and other “Mandoverse” titles, has revealed a surprising yet vitally important connection between his ranger character and Princess Leia Organa herself. Carson Teva was first introduced in The Mandalorian season 2, episode 2 “Chapter 10: The Passenger” as one of the two X-wing pilots who chased and then saved Din Djarin, Grogu, and Frog Lady. Carson has since become one of the few “Mandoverse” characters to appear in all three of the subfranchise’s TV shows to date. His importance, however, is only just growing.
Lee spoke more about his character’s backstory to fellow The Mandalorian star and Bo-Katan Kryze actress Katee Sackhoff on her podcast The Sackhoff Show, where he revealed the details of his initial phone call with The Mandalorian executive producers Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni. “[Favreau and Filoni] didn’t give me a lot of details,” Lee told Sackhoff. “They just basically said ‘He’s from Alderaan, he’s like a…’ Jon said ‘He’s like a New York City cop.’” Up until this point, however, it was never officially known that Carson was from Alderaan, despite revealing he had served during its destruction.
What Carson Teva’s Leia Connection Means For Star Wars
Why Do Their Ties to Alderaan Matter?
Carson Teva being from Alderaan is a huge deal, especially given its tragic history in the Star Wars galaxy. The only time Carson has ever mentioned Alderaan is in The Mandalorian season 2, when he tells Cara Dune that he “served” during Alderaan’s destruction. It’s unclear what exactly his role was, but either way, it still stands that Alderaan has always been meant to play a core part in the story of the New Republic and its rangers – especially since Carson and Cara were meant to be the stars of the now-canceled Rangers of the New Republic spin-off TV show.
Now that Leia is beginning to enter the story with her intervention (via C-3PO) at General Hera Syndulla‘s court hearing in Ahsoka, which Carson Teva was also present at, it’s even more clear that all roads are leading back to Alderaan. This is a big deal for Star Wars; the franchise has, for the most part, ignored the massive impact of that tragedy. Everyone seemed to simply move on, especially once the Death Star was destroyed. Bringing Alderaan back into the fold after the Galactic Empire‘s fall suggests that the planet’s destruction could finally be playing a larger role.
Star Wars Is Setting Up A Massive Role For Alderaan
This Tragedy Could Become the New Republic’s Biggest Motivation
Between Leia, Cara, and Carson, it looks very much like Alderaan is meant to begin playing a huge role in the future of the New Republic era. Though I’m well aware that Cara is no longer a foundational part of The Mandalorian‘s story, her backstory and forgotten future still point towards Alderaan being destined for a bigger role in this overarching story. This isn’t even the first hint about Alderaan’s importance increasing as the years go by; Star Wars left its first hint back in 2016’s Bloodline by Claudia Gray.
Purchase Bloodline by Claudia Gray on Amazon
Written as a tie-in for the sequel Star Wars trilogy, Bloodline depicts a scene where a statue is being unveiled on Hosnian Prime in honor of Bail Organa, Leia’s late adoptive father – and, of course, the senator and fearless leader of Alderaan. It stands to reason, then, that Alderaan and Alderaanians will continue to become a core part of the New Republic and its future. Likely serving as a symbol of warning, Alderaan’s tragedy could be the reason why the New Republic finally mobilizes against the looming threat of The Mandalorian‘s Imperial Remnant and Grand Admiral Thrawn.
The Mandalorian & Grogu, the upcoming The Mandalorian spin-off movie, hits theaters May 22, 2026.
Source: The Sackhoff Show/YouTube
