Benedict Cumberbatch explains why he won't play Star Wars' Grand Admiral Thrawn

We all know that Benedict Cumberbatch is the perfect actor for a genius character. Acting in popular franchises like Sherlock and Doctor Strange. But when asked to play the Grand Admiral Thrawn in The Mandalorian, he had to say no.

To refresh your memory, Thrawn is the calm and collected Imperial leader for the navy. He is known for his intense red eyes, ocean-blue skin, and bright mind. Fans were expecting the character to appear soon since he was mentioned in The Mandalorian season 2.

To be fair, Cumberbatch has a lot going on right now, he has been filming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Additionally, the time in the make-up room makes it hard for the British actor to commit to the role.

He says in an interview with Collider, “That’s a straight no from me, right now. There’s no way I want to be turned blue. I turned the air blue, very recently. No no, seriously, I have precious time with my children and I think sitting in a makeup chair and being painted blue, and the amount of time it would take to do that and then take it off at the end of the day might just… it’s not the right time in my life for that.”

Looks like Star Wars will have to look for another great actor to fill the role of the Admiral. Both The Mandalorian season 3 and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness coming in 2022.