Star Wars Rebels wrapped up with a major cliffhanger when Jedi Ezra Bridger and the villainous Grand Admiral Thrawn vanished after being dragged into hyperspace by the ancient purrgil. That was where we left things, and there were rumblings a few years back about Dave Filoni developing an animated sequel series for Disney+.
Since then, Ahsoka Tano has appeared in The Mandalorian (and The Book of Boba Fett), with that series making it clear Thrawn is very much still alive and up to no good.
That has to mean Ezra managed to survive as well, and Disney+'s live-action Ahsoka now looks set to reveal what came next. Recently, it was confirmed that Eman Esfandi has been tapped to play the live-action, older version of that character, but there's still no word on who will bring Thrawn to life.
While we've previously heard that Lars Mikkelsen, who voiced the Grand Admiral in Star Wars Rebels, is Lucasfilm's top choice for the role, there's still no official announcement. However, those early reports have been reiterated by an online scooper (via SFFGazette.com) who claims to confirm his casting while revealing that he'll be decked out in Thrawn's classic white uniform.
If correct, that's a great choice by Lucasfilm on all fronts. Mikkelsen made Thrawn terrifying even in animation, and he definitely has the right look to play the blue-skinned baddie in this series. Some fans believe the villain is the one pulling Moff Gideon's strings, orchestrating events on behalf of the fallen Emperor Palpatine.
That would tie a lot of loose threads together and answer some big questions, so fingers crossed Mikkelsen's involvement in Ahsoka is made official sooner rather than later.
Ahsoka is set to premiere on Disney+ next year. Keep checking SFFGazette.com for updates.