Lars Mikkelsen's menacing performance as Grand Admiral Thrawn left a lasting impression on Star Wars fans which is why it was only natural for the creators of the Ahsoka series to cast him as the villain's live-action counterpart.
However, Thrawn's live-action design paled in comparison to the character's animated version, and after Mikkelsen's official look was revealed through the show's trailer, it earned a resounding rejection from the fandom.
Ahsoka: Dave Filoni Reveals Why Lars Mikkelsen was the Only Choice for Live-Action Grand Admiral Thrawn
Entertainment Tonight recently released an interview with Dave Filoni at this year's Star Wars Celebration in London and the Ahsoka showrunner revealed what made them choose Mikkelsen over other potential actors.
And while his Rebels performance was tough to beat, it wasn't just the voice that made them convinced. Filoni explained: "It was a very big challenge to cast the voice. You know, how do you find a voice for a character that everybody who has read it, pictured it probably in a different, unique way?"
"Eventually, that led me to Lars, and we were all very happy with his performance in Rebels. [Jon Favreau said to me] 'It's going to be very hard to beat Lars.' Because Lars is in my head. The sound of his voice is kind of what I write to."
"[I thought] 'Now it's gotta be Lars' and Jon's like 'Okay.' He looks wonderful in blue. Not everybody does, so that's a factor and we worked on the eyes so...it's a unique thing to bring this character to life."
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As it stands, we still don't know when Thrawn will make his first live-action appearance but considering Ahsoka is down to its last three episodes, it would be safe to assume that we'll see him in the next episode. After all, Episode 5 saw Ahsoka ride the Purrgil in hopes of being transported to the whereabouts of Ezra Bridger.
New episodes of Ahsoka premiere every Tuesday on Disney+.
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