The upcoming Ahsoka series has been a highlight of Star Wars Celebration. We got our first look at the Star Wars show on Friday with an incredible trailer that brought more Star Wars Rebels characters to live-action. On Saturday, the series got a standalone panel. Cast members Rosario Dawson, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ray Stevenson, Diana Lee Insanto, and Ivanna Sakhno joined showrunner and executive producer Dave Filoni, as well as Jon Favreau, on stage to go somewhat more in depth about the story. And during the panel they introduced Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn. Mikkelsen will reprise the role from Star Wars Rebels.
The group shared a remixed version of Friday’s trailer revealing Thrawn in full with flawless blue makeup and cold eyes. Other new footage in this Celebration-exclusive Ahsoka trailer showed Sabine fighting with a green lightsaber and an up-close moment with a purrgil.
On what made Thrawn such a compelling character, Filoni cited Timothy Zahn’s books. He cited Heir to the Empire as a kind of seminal Star Wars moment. With Thrawn being a Moriarty-type villain and so strategic, he makes an excellent foil. It doesn’t matter that he doesn’t have the Force. The Ahsoka trailer called Thrawn the heir to the Empire and Dawson said Ahsoka recognizes the danger. Ahsoka is hearing rumors and she knows such a foe is not easily dismissed.
But, Dawson added, Ahsoka has someone else very top of mind: Ezra Bridger. She cited Ahsoka’s close relationship with Ezra. However, we didn’t learn more about Ezra or who is playing him.
In addition to Thrawn, we also learned Kevin Kiner is scoring Ahsoka. This marks the long-time Star Wars composer’s first foray into scoring live-action Star Wars.
Ahsoka will premiere on Disney+ in August.
