Star Wars 7: 6 Perfect Casting Rumours (And Who They Could Play)

6. Benedict Cumberbatch As Grand Admiral Thrawn

This past week British actor Benedict Cumberbatch has once again denied any involvement in the upcoming Star Wars film. Cumberbatch is one of a number of actors whose names have been thrown into the ring as possible contenders for a role in the upcoming trilogy. Since Cumberbatch has recently been in the news once again denying his involvement with Star Wars Episode VII, it's only fitting that he finds himself on the list in this most obvious spot. Cumberbatch has been a hot commodity the past few years and his stock is only on the rise with signature roles on the show Sherlock and his role as Khan in Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013). The Abrams connection is another red flag to the possibility of Cumberbatch being tied to a possible Star Wars role. With Series 4 of Sherlock currently in question, it's possible that Cumberbatch could be looking for a new role for his immediate future if the show doesn't continue. Any fan of the Star Wars EU most likely knows of Grand Admiral Thrawn. Thrawn was originally introduced in a trilogy of books written by Timothy Zahn back in 1991 and is one of the oldest and most well known EU characters. Although it is all but assumed that the new trilogy will be an original story adaption, introducing Thrawn as a foil to the original cast could prove to be quite brilliant. While many fans may be tired of the Jedi / Sith theme that has been prevalent throughout the series up to this point, a new trilogy could look to Thrawn as a fresh introduction and threat that doesn't rely on the Force to be dangerous. It wouldn't be surprising to see Thrawn and the Imperial remnant battle the armies of the recently established New Republic.