The Top 10 Casting Choices For Grand Admiral Thrawn
Season 2 of The Mandalorian dropped some major plot point and characters. One of those characters that was just casually mentioned by Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) in “Chapter 13: The Jedi” was Grand Admiral Thrawn. Fans of the Star Wars Rebels show and Star Wars books know that Grand Admiral Thrawn is one of the most feared characters within the Star Wars universe. Fans also love him because of how cool, calculating, and evil he can be. Ahsoka Tano mentions that she is searching for him in “The Jedi,” and that is one of the many reasons that she cannot take Grogu to train him. This led fans to believe that Grand Admiral Thrawn would be a part of the live-action Ahsoka series that is coming to Disney+. In the beginning of January, there were very heavy rumors that Lars Mikkelsen, who is Grand Admiral Thrawn’s voice actor in Star Wars Rebels, was cast to play him in live-action. Fans were ecstatic over these reports, as his rendition of the character in the animated show is just so good.
But if Lars can’t play Grand Admiral Thrawn, who else would potentially be good for the role? Complete with doctored photos of the actors, let’s find out who else could play the feared villain.
10. Michael Fassbender
He has the perfect square jaw, chiseled cheekbones, and aristocratic air that would bring Grand Admiral Thrawn to life. With his excellent roles as one of Marvel’s greatest villains in the X-Men films and as a questionable android in Ridley Scott’s Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, he definitely has what it takes to bring Thrawn to life on screen.
9. Hugo Weaving
Beyond than his role as Lord Elrond in The Lord of the Rings, Hugo Weaving has made a reputation in playing villains and heroes with an edge. From Agent Smith in The Matrix to Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger and voicing Megatron in Transformers, Hugo Weaving has expertly brought these iconic characters to life. He could definitely bring the chill in Thrawn’s personality to life, as well as the grace and dignity that we also so expertly saw when he played Elrond.
8. Tom Hiddleston
Fans have long been trying to get Disney/Lucasfilm to cast Tom Hiddleston in a Star Wars film. With his role and expertise as Loki the God of Mischief in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he definitely has what it takes to be Grand Admiral Thrawn, bringing the tricks and poise that both Loki and Thrawn have in common. He is especially good at approaching the interior of a character, no matter how deplorable, which would make for a very good performance for Thrawn.
7. Benedict Cumberbatch
There are few actors who can convey both a commanding sense of authority and decorum quite like Benedict Cumberbatch. His portrayals of Sherlock Holmes in the BBC's Sherlock and Marvel's superhero Doctor Strange have shown that he can bring an aura of danger and unpredictability that are definitely Grand Admiral Thrawn traits. His portrayal of the villain Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness helped fans realize that he could definitely bring that darkness to a villain in the Star Wars universe as well.
6. Jon Hamm
He is known for playing intimidating yet charismatic men in positions of authority, so he would fit right in as Thrawn. He is most known for his role of classy, if not hedonistic, advertising executive Don Draper from the AMC series Mad Men. Since he is relatively unknown to the sci-fi genre, even though he has the right physical dimensions in the eyes of many fans, it could be good to have a person that isn’t as entrenched with playing the same kind of villain.
5. Lee Pace
Standing at 6’5’’ Lee Pace could bring the height to Grand Admiral Thrawn. He is known most for playing Ronan the Accuser in Guardians of the Galaxy and King Thranduil in The Hobbit trilogy. He is no stranger to portraying characters with both a fearsome and yet calm and reserved demeanor. His unique and memorable voice, commanding and soft, is also very similar to Thrawn’s cadence from the animated series, and would definitely help bring the character to life.
4. Jason Isaacs
Jason Isaacs is also no stranger to the role of a villain, playing some of the most feared villains in cinema: Lucius Malfoy in Harry Potter, Captain Hook in Peter Pan, Michael Caffee in Brotherhood, and Colonel William Tavington in The Patriot. He is also no stranger to the sci fi genre, playing Captain Lorca in Star Trek: Discovery and voicing The Grand Inquisitor in Star Wars Rebels. He could easily slip into the role of Thrawn with his expertise and calm yet commanding voice.
3. Antony Starr
He has captured the attention of superhero fans with his portrayal of Homelander, the sociopathic leader of The Seven in Amazon Prime’s The Boys. He is both a hero who is villainous and a villain who is capable of appearing heroic. He could definitely carry himself like Thrawn, especially with his unpredictable irascibility. He is also not too well known, which could be a good thing for the Star Wars universe.
2. Iain Glen
We don’t know what Thrawn’s exact age is. However, Iain’s distinguished presence could be what Thrawn needs. More recently, Iain played the errant swordsell Ser Jorah in Game of Thrones. However, many fans also know him as his dastardly villain Manfred Powell, the villain in Angelina Jolie’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. He would definitely bring in the steely elegance of Thrawn’s demeanor.
1. Lars Mikkelsen
It is rare that a voice actor is cast for the same character in a live-action take, and yet, if the rumors are indeed true, then Lars Mikkelsen has done it. Many fans believe that he would be the perfect Grand Admiral Thrawn since he already knows the character so well. He knows the voice, the cadence, the way Thrawn inflects words. He knows how Thrawn carries himself. He also has that cool, calculating, and yet deadly demeanor that just makes Grand Admiral Thrawn into one of the greatest Star Wars villains. Lars has gained attention with his roles in House of Cards, Sherlock series 3, and more recently in Netflix’s The Witcher. It would be natural for Disney/Lucasfilm to go with the same actor who has been playing one of the most loved/hated Star Wars villains.
Source(s): Screen Rant, Star Wars News Net