There was a whole lot of speculation that Richard E. Grant was going to play Grand Admiral Thrawn when Lucasfilm released the official cast list for Star Wars: Episode IX last month.
The studio kept mum about the character that Grant was playing, and fans decided that the actor's features fit perfectly with the strategic Chiss Imperial military commander. However, it seems like the fanbase missed the mark again.
Speaking together with the Radio Times, Grant was asked how true the prevalent Grand Admiral Thrawn theory was, and it looks like the actor was quick to debunk the persistent Star Wars: Episode IX rumor.
"I'm not playing the Star Wars character you just mentioned. I'm not allowed to tell you anything. Otherwise, I would be fired. It's a complete lockdown on any information whatsoever,"Grant says.
Grant's answer is pretty direct. The Logan star doesn't seem like the type to play coy or to sugarcoat his words to help lead on the Star Wars fanbase (which is pretty susceptible to over -reading and over-speculating.)
Of course, Grant's response is going to disappoint Star Wars fans. There were so many hoping that Thrawn would make it to the big screen, especially after his debut in Star Wars Rebels. A recently canonized Legends character, fans love Thrawn for his intelligence and complexity. It would have been great to see him in the big screen – though we know it wouldn't entirely make sense for him to be in Episode IX.
Star Wars: Episode IX premieres on December 20, 2019.
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