Star Wars: Dave Filoni Teases What's in Store for Thrawn's Future

Decades after he was first introduced into the galaxy far, far away, Grand Admiral Thrawn made his live-action Star Wars debut earlier this year in Star Wars: Ahsoka, with the first season finale leaving things entirely open-ended for the threat, implying that his return to the franchise was imminent. Fans know that filmmaker Dave Filoni is developing a movie that takes place during The New Republic, but since we don't know when that movie will happen, fans have been wondering about Thrawn's future since that finale, and Filoni has now teased that we could see him face off against Hera Syndulla when he does return to the franchise. Stay tuned for updates on the future of the Star Wars franchise.

"His foil throughout [Star Wars] Rebels was Hera," Filoni revealed to Empire Magazine. "Pitting the two generals against one another is something that I find interesting."

In addition to teasing a showdown with Mary Elizabeth Winstead's Hera, who also made her live-action debut in Ahsoka, Filoni hinted that Thrawn will be spending some time with a more nefarious figure.

"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," the filmmaker hinted.

The series finale of Rebels implied the death of both Thrawn and burgeoning Jedi Ezra Bridger, only for Ahsoka to confirm that both figures had survived the events of the climactic finale. The timeline of The New Republic series we've seen so far is less than a decade after Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, and with there being no mention of Thrawn, Ahsoka, or Ezra in the sequel trilogy, it's unclear if these characters survive that long. 

Thrawn actor Lars Mikkelsen offered his own input on what he expects his character's endgame might be.

"Straighten out all the others and tidy up the shop," the actor teases of his character's motivations. "I could imagine something in terms of a power play within the Empire."  

As it stands, the only confirmed TV series on the horizon that will take place during The New Republic is Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, as Lucasfilm has yet to officially confirm The Mandalorian Season 4 or Ahsoka Season 2. Understandably, this year's writers' and actors' strikes complicated the development of various projects, so whether we'll get Thrawn in another TV series or if we won't see him until Filoni's movie is realized is yet to be confirmed.

Stay tuned for updates on the future of Thrawn in Star Wars.

Are you looking forward to getting more of the villain? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!