Credit: LucasfilmThe Mandalorian just raised some eyebrows after hinting Grand Admiral Thrawn’s debut will happen very soon.
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Chapter 19, “The Convert,” made Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Bo-Katan (Katee Sachkoff) fend for their lives as the Empire attacked out of nowhere. Tie bombers destroy Bo-Katan’s home. Tie interceptors are in hot pursuit of Din and Bo-Katan for the next several minutes, with both heroes showing off their piloting skills.
One thing becomes clear, the fighters had to come from somewhere, and there’s no ominous Imperial Star Destroyer in orbit. An average imperial warlord wouldn’t have access to thirty interceptors, leaving everyone to wonder. Who was behind the attack?
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It couldn’t be Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) since the New Republic arrested him in The Mandalorian Season 2 finale. Since the fighters came out of nowhere, their carrier (probably a Star Destroyer or some imperial vessel) was hiding on the planet, not wanting to be seen.
Thrawn’s flagship, the Chimaera, is something fans can recognize in a heartbeat, so it makes sense that Jon Favreau would want to wait for that reveal. Looking back at the writers for the series, it’s safe to assume that if Thrawn did appear in the series, he would appear in Episode 7 of the season as Dave Filoni helped write the script for that episode.
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For fans, Thrawn was the original villain for the Sequel Era. Thrawn nearly wiped out the New Republic in Star Wars Legends due to his cunning and flawless tactics. He was a genius and a brilliant strategist, and the only thing that could defeat him was the things he didn’t understand. The force.
Bringing him into the Star Wars universe is a huge deal. Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka, including Ezra Bridger and name-dropping the Grand Admiral last season in The Mandalorian, makes it very clear that the Chiss villain will return soon. One problem remains. Who will star as Thrawn?
Lars Mikkelsen voiced Thrawn in Star Wars: Rebels which everyone loved, but the actor has repeatedly voiced that he hasn’t been approached for the series. Without Mikkelsen, fans are worried that the series might fail to deliver the villain fans expect because it’s hard to imagine who else could play Grand Admiral Thrawn. Any actor can put on the blue makeup, but composure, charisma, and voice are integral to the character, and it’s tough to believe that Lucasfilm has really found someone else to play that role besides Mikkelsen.
Do you think Mikkelsen is telling the truth? Who do you want to star as Thrawn? Let Inside the Magic know!