The Grand Admiral will see you now.
The next Ahsoka The television show will bring a whole series of star wars characters in live action for the first time – but perhaps the most anticipated addition is Thrawn, the infamous Imperial officer played by Lars Mikkelsen.
The blue-skinned villain has a long history in the star wars galaxy, beginning in Timothy Zahn’s iconic 1991 novel heir to the empire and later appearing in the anime series Star Wars Rebels. Now Thrawn is finally making his live-action debut, with Mikkelsen returning after voicing the character in Rebels.
Disney+
The new trailer sets up a climactic showdown between Thrawn and Ahsoka, played by a returning Rosario Dawson. We’ve seen brief teases of Thrawn before – including an eerie shot of the back of his head – but this is the first time he’s been seen in full, complete with glowing red eyes.
Earlier this year at star wars Celebrating in London, Mikkelsen told EW that seeing the fan reaction to Thrawn moved him. “I had a hard time holding back my tears,” the actor said. “I was really in tears. I didn’t expect this.”
Mikkelsen added that he didn’t expect to play the character live-action, but when series creator Dave Filoni called about Ahsoka, the actor had “no doubts” about his return as everyone’s favorite red-eyed villain.
“He’s a great strategist,” Mikkelsen teases. “He’s always seven steps ahead of everyone else. And ruthless, of course. But only when necessary, actually. I think he also thrives on the creativity of the environment. I want say, he doesn’t misuse people. He uses their creativity to achieve his goals.”
The trailer has several connections to star wars rebels, as Ahsoka tracks down her missing friend Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi). The series will reintroduce the fan favorite rebels characters like Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), and the anarchic droid Chopper. At one point, Sabine cuts her hair into a short crop, returning to her familiar look of rebels. Even more intriguingly, she appears to be following the path of the Jedi, training with Ahsoka, and picking up a new green lightsaber.
Along the way, Ahsoka and her friends cross paths with a whole host of villains, played by Diana Lee Inosanto, Ivanna Sakhno and the late Ray Stevenson.
Ahsoka will premiere with two episodes on August 23 on Disney+. Watch the trailer above.
To know more Ahsoka, listen to the EWs star wars podcast Dispatch Dagobah, featuring exclusive interviews with actors like Rosario Dawson, Lars Mikkelsen, and more.
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