Star Wars live-action Thrawn star has commented on being cast in Ahsoka for Disney+.
The question of who Lucasfilm cast as the fan-favorite villain has long been one of Ahsoka's biggest mysteries and a major topic of speculation amongst fans.
For months, the top rumored candidate was Lars Mikkelsen; however, the actor himself had debunked such claims.
Finally, at Star Wars Celebration's Ahsoka panel, Lucasfilm's Thrawn star was officially confirmed, allowing the actor to finally break his silence and address the fans.
Grand Admiral Thrawn Star Talks Live-Action Ahsoka Role
After Lucasfilm confirmed Lars Mikkelsen is, in fact, playing Grand Admiral Thrawn in Ahsoka, the actor was finally able to talk about his live-action Star Wars role after having publicly denied it.
As shared via Popverse, Mikkelsen responded to the crowd, saying how "it's wonderful" to be back and "Thank you so much. Thank you so much."
Mikkelsen voiced Grand Admiral Thrawn in the Star Wars Rebels animated series and recounted how, after "finishing up that series," he was asked if he had "ever been to LA:"
"It was obviously, we met through Skype. We did all the sessions on 'Rebels' on Skype, and at some point, finishing up that series, David asked me if I'd ever been to LA."
As for his on-set experience for Ahsoka, Mikkelsen confessed, "I'd never been on set with such passion:"
"I'd never been on set with such passion. People are so passionate about bringing this to life for you guys."
Dave Filoni then commented on Thrawn's popularity, saying, it "all starts with Tim Zahn's books" and how "it was so shocking at the time, there wasn't content all the time like there is today."
The Ahsoka showrunner likened Thrawn as "Moriarty and Rommel all in one... That was so compelling to read."
Lastly, Filoni confirmed that he spoke with Timothy Zahn about bringing Thrawn to live-action, confessing that "We want to make sure that we get it right."
Check out Mikkelsen taking the stage at Star Wars Celebration's Ahsoka panel below:
Ahsoka Required Lars Mikkelsen to Act Off-Set
In light of this Star Wars Celebration reveal, there's no denying Lars Mikkelsen proved his acting chops by denying his Ahsoka role for so long and so convincingly.
Still, he's far from the first. Just last year, The Phantom Menace's Liam Neeson claimed he hadn't been approached to return as Qui-Gon Jinn for Obi-Wan Kenobi, only to then appear as a surprise cameo by the series' end.
It seems that playing a fan-favorite Star Wars character requires a little acting both on and off the set and even once marketing has begun.
For instance, a day prior to Mikkelsen's confirmation, Star Wars released its first teaser for Ahsoka, offering a first look at Thrawn.
However, the footage only showed the actor from behind, keeping his identity a secret until Star Wars Celebration's Ahsoka panel.
Those in attendance reportedly saw an exclusive version of the Ahsoka teaser and one that fully revealed Mikkelsen as the blue-skinned, red-eyed Chiss Imperial.
But for now, it appears the rest of the world will have to wait a little longer to see the actor in the full Thrawn makeup.
Ahsoka arrives August 2023 on Disney+.
