Credit: LucasfilmFollowing his promotion at Lucasfilm, newly-appointed Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni is making some big moves as the Star Wars universe looks to the future, specifically regarding its central villain, Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen).
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Coming off the success of Season 1 of his critically acclaimed Ahsoka series, showrunner Dave Filoni seems to be reaping the rewards of his new position at Lucasfilm. Given just how much of a success Ahsoka was in appealing to Star Wars fans both new and old, on top of his many accolades co-creating Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, and The Mandalorian, it’s no wonder Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy is trusting Filoni with all future creative decisions as his upcoming “Mando-Verse” crossover movie inches closer to its release date.
Though not without its issues, Ahsoka did many things right, namely, the live-action debut of Grand Admiral Thrawn, the nefarious baddie of Rebels played by his original voice actor, Lars Mikkelsen. However, long before his role in Star Wars animation, the blue-skinned Chiss admiral was first introduced in Timothy Zahn’s 1991 novel, Heir to the Empire. In the new Disney+ spinoff show, Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) enlists the help of her old friends Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) and Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) to hunt Thrawn down after he re-emerges in the far reaches of the galaxy nearly ten years after disappearing with missing Jedi Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi).
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The season finale of Ahsoka certainly left the door wide open for Thrawn’s return, and now, Filoni is sharing new insights on when we can expect to see the Imperial warlord next, and who could be his biggest threat — aside from Ahsoka herself. Speaking with Empire, Filoni teased even more connections to the Star Wars Legends novels, namely, in the form of Captain Pellaeon (Xander Berkeley) and the mysterious Shadow Council featured in Season 3 of The Mandalorian. And based on his remarks, it sounds like we could “see the two of them together” onscreen soon:
We set up Captain Pellaeon in The Mandalorian, and that’s a character that goes with Thrawn, so I’d love to see the two of them together. His foil throughout Rebels was Hera. Pitting the two generals against one another is something that I find interesting.
Captain Pellaeon is, as those familiar with the Legends novels well know, a prominent figure in Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire trilogy, serving as Thrawn’s right-hand man aboard the Star Destroyer Chimaera. Although his canon counterpart has somewhat of a different story, joining the Shadow Council to share his belief that Thrawn’s return from the Unknown Regions would allow the resurgence of the Imperial Military, Pellaeon, in any case, is an extremely powerful leader. With the Great Mothers in tow, Thrawn and Pellaeon would be a virtually unstoppable duo.
Pellaeon’s appearance in Mando Season 3 generated plenty of buzz for this very reason. As for what Filoni’s master plan for the character actually entails, the details remain blurry, but it sounds like he could stand beside the Grand Admiral as they go up against Ahsoka, Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison), and the New Republic in Fioni’s upcoming film.
Plus, considering Thrawn’s longstanding “beef” with a fellow figure from Ahsoka, Hera, it sounds like we could be in for an almighty clash of blue vs. green. As Ahsoka viewers may recall, Thrawn and Hera never actually cross paths in the show (in-person, at least), meaning we have yet to see their reunion. It seems likely that the New Republic General still blames Thrawn for the death of her partner and the father of her son, Kanan Jarrus (Freddie Prinze Jr.), meaning their conflict hits especially close to home. Their showdown could be one of the most compelling fights in Star Wars history since the Duel of the Fates, but given that the New Republic is in shambles, Hera and Co. might not have much of a fighting chance.
As for Mikkelsen, he also shared some thoughts of what Thrawn is ultimately setting out to do, telling the publication that Thrawn hopes to “Straighten out all the others and tidy up the shop,” adding, “I could imagine something in terms of a power play within the Empire.” Based on his remarks, we might be in for a Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)-style showdown between various Star Wars villains attempting to rule in the power vacum left by the Galactic Empire. Either way, the Imperial Remnant is preparing to strike back — and it’s not looking good for our heroes.
For now, plot specifics surrounding Dave Filoni’s “Mando-Verse” movie remain unknown, and we still have plenty of upcoming Star Wars content to get through until we see Din Djarin, Grogu, Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and other heroes joining forces against Thrawn. The Mandalorian Season 4 is expected to arrive on Disney+ sometime in 2025, while Skeleton Crew is slated for a late 2024 release, all of which will build up to the “Mando-Verse” crossover film. There’s also the off-chance that an Ahsoka Season 2 is in the works, but nothing has been confirmed by Disney and Lucasfilm just yet.
Regardless, it sounds like Captain Pellaeon is poised to become a primary antagonist in future Star Wars stories. Although he might be loyal to Thrawn, with so many ex-Imperials vying for power, well…Thrawn might have to watch his back with Pellaeon, as a betrayal seems imminent.
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