Grand Admiral Thrawn is set to return in the upcoming Ahsoka series on Disney+. But the actor playing him says he didn't want to revisit his past performances of the character.
Lars Mikkelsen "wanted to create something new," the actor tells Entertainment Weekly. And Mikkelsen also had an assessment of the villainous military leader he's played before.
"He's a top strategist," Mikkelsen says. "He's always seven paces ahead of anybody else. And ruthless, of course. But only when it's needed, actually."
Mikkelsen first voiced Thrawn in the animated Star Wars: Rebels. The character was first introduced on the small screen in the series' Season 3 premiere in 2016.
"I think he thrives also with the creativity of the surroundings," Mikkelsen added. "I mean, he's not using people in a bad way. He's using their creativity to reach his goals."
Grand Admiral Thrawn in Star Wars Legends vs. Canon
Grand Admiral Thrawn's has characteristically been portrayed as an expert military strategist. His first franchise appearance was in Timothy Zahn's 1991 Legends novel Heir to the Empire. Thrawn led one of many Imperial factions remaining after the fall of the Galactic Empire. The character also served as the main villain in Zahn's two sequels, Dark Force Rising and The Last Command. Thrawn returned in two later novels, also by Zahn.
Star Wars: Rebels served as the first appearance of Thrawn in subsequent Canon continuity. Thrawn had been appointed Grand Admiral by the Empire in advance of his appearance on the series. The villain was last seen in the show's series finale. His fate remains unknown following a battle with Rebel Ezra Bridger. Bridger's fate is similarly unclear, but his character is also slated to return in Ahsoka.
Ahsoka will serve as the live action debut for both characters, along with other characters from Rebels.
Grand Admiral Thrawn was mentioned -- but did not appear -- multiple times in The Mandalorian. Most recently, in Season 3's penultimate episode "Chapter 23: The Spies," Giancarlo Esposito's Moff Gideon made reference to the absent faction leader.
Ahsoka takes place concurrently with the events of The Mandalorian. Both shows are set roughly five years after the fall of the Galactic Empire at the conclusion of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Thrawn is expected to be the main villain in Ahsoka.
Ahsoka is scheduled to premiere in August on Disney+.
Source: Entertainment Weekly