We're only two months away from the release of the Star Wars franchise's standalone Ahsoka Tano show and fans of the animated universe couldn't help but feel stoked about the idea of their favorite characters finally crossing over to live-action.
Serving as the unofficial sequel to Star Wars Rebels, Ahsoka will mark the respective debuts of Ezra Bridger, Hera Syndulla, and Sabine Wren aka the Ghost Crew, as well as Grand Admiral Thrawn who will be played by none other than Lars Mikkelsen, the same actor who voiced the villain in the hit series.
Lars Mikkelsen Confirms He's Tweaking His Grand Admiral Thrawn Voice for Ahsoka Series
Mikkelsen shared his preparations for his highly anticipated MandoVerse debut in the latest issue of Empire Magazine (via The Direct). The 59-year-old star revealed that he's making major changes to his portrayal of the menacing villain so it suits his live-action performance better.
According to the Star Wars Rebels voice actor, retaining his animated voice would be "too much" for live-action which is why he's taking a completely different approach.
He said: "I’m not losing the voice, but I am tweaking it into live-action. When you do an animated character, there’s a whole melodious approach. When you’re there as a real person, that would be just slightly too much."
Mikkelsen also discussed his love for the character, praising Thrawn for being a "clever" villain. He added: "I love the way he rises through the Empire, and the way he carries himself in that environment to become somebody. And then of course, how can you not like a very clever villain? Thrawn takes the time to understand his opponent’s culture, and what they’re about. It’s lovely to be playing that."
Also Read: Ahsoka: Here's Why Fans are Making Fun of Lars Mikkelsen's Grand Admiral Thrawn
Naturally, some fans aired their concerns following the actor's statement, thinking that they'll be getting a watered-down version of Thrawn. To be fair, Mikkelsen's reason for changing his Thrawn voice is absolutely valid and if anything, it probably just means that he'll take a more toned-down approach because obviously, animation is completely different from live-action.
Nevertheless, we're definitely excited to finally see Thrawn debut in the MandoVerse because it's been a long time coming.
Star Wars' Ahsoka series is slated for release on August 23 exclusively on Disney+.
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!