Ahsoka’s Thrawn Will Be Very Different To Rebels

Lars Mikkelsen, the actor for Grand Admiral Thrawn in the upcoming Ahsoka series, has hinted at a very different version of the character from the one first seen in Star Wars Rebels. Unlikely many other Star Wars characters who have made the transition from animation to live-action, Thrawn will be played by the same actor. Mikkelsen provided the voice work for the Chiss Grand Admiral of the Empire in Star Wars Rebels and was officially confirmed to reprise his role at the Ahsoka panel during Star Wars Celebration 2023.

In the run-up to Ahsoka‘s release, Mikkelsen appeared on the Dagobah Dispatch podcast and hinted that his version of Star Wars‘ Grand Admiral Thrawn in live-action may have some differences from the version seen in Rebels. When asked whether he rewatched Rebels to inform his live-action performance of Thrawn, Mikkelsen had this to say: “We needed to do something else, so I wanted to not just detach myself from that, but create something new, in a sense.” This certainly makes sense, as animation is an entirely different medium to live-action, meaning Mikkelsen’s performance will change somewhat to fit Ahsoka‘s style better.

Related: Thrawn Live-Action vs Animation: How He Looks In Ahsoka Explained

How Will Ahsoka’s Grand Admiral Thrawn Be Different To Rebels?

When concerning how exactly Grand Admiral Thrawn will be different in Ahsoka, it will likely be down to the physical presence Mikkelsen can bring to the role. Prior to his appearance on Star Wars Rebels, Mikkelsen was primarily a live-action actor, with his voice-over work being limited to the Danish dubs of projects such as Naruto, The Wild, and Meet the Robinsons. As such, Mikkelsen has much more experience as a live-action actor, meaning he can bring much more out of Thrawn through his physical performance.

On Rebels, Mikkelsen likely provided the voice to an already-animated Thrawn, meaning he had little to no input on how the character’s physical presence would come across. With Ahsoka though, this is likely how Mikkelsen will create something new, through his own performance on set. Also on the podcast was the late Ray Stevenson, who implied Mikkelsen’s physical work improved Thrawn’s onscreen demeanor: “When we first encounter Thrawn, I was watching him, the entrance – and you go like, ‘That’s an entrance!’” While Thrawn’s character will likely be depicted the same in the script, Mikkelsen’s performance can bring a lot out of the character during Ahsoka that was not present in Rebels.

Source: Dagobah Dispatch