Lucasfilm has finally revealed that Lars Mikkelsen will be playing the live-action version of Grand Admiral Thrawn in Star Wars: Ahsoka, the same actor who voiced the villain in Star Wars Rebels.
The arrival of Thrawn in live-action has been something fans have been waiting a very long time to see, and Star Wars Celebration 2023 finally gave them the answer as to who will be bringing the villain to life.
Lars Mikkelsen Image Credit: Star Wars Twitter
The search for Grand Admiral Thrawn and Ezra Bridger will be a big part of Ahsoka and will continue the story that was part of the finale of Star Wars Rebels. In the series, the last time we saw the pair was when purrgil (space whales who can travel through hyperspace!) grabbed Thrawn’s ship and took him away. Ezra stayed with Thrawn to ensure he was defeated for good. Unfortunately, it looks like he is set to return.
In the Ahsoka trailer, we caught a glimpse of the back of Grand Admiral Thrawn and even got a nod to Heir of the Empire, which was the first novel that introduced the character in 1991. Thrawn is known to have one of the greatest tactical minds in the galaxy and could be key to bringing the Empire (or First Order?) back. Or could there be more at play? Only time will tell.
Ahsoka really is gearing up to be a full-blown Star Wars Rebels reunion, as Thrawn will be joined by Hera Syndulla, Sabine Wren, Ezra Bridger, Chopper, and who knows who else at this point. We’ve already caught our first glimpse of live-action Zeb in The Mandalorian, so he very well could make a return to the series as well.
Fans won’t have to wait too long to find out these answers and more as Ahsoka is set to premiere on Disney+ in August 2023.
For more, check out Ahsoka actress Rosario Dawson’s tease about Thrawn’s return, how the cast of Ahsoka is bringing their beloved Rebels characters to life, and our full interview with Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau about Ahsoka, their new Star Wars movie, and more.
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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
