You Won't See This MCU Star In The Mandalorian. Here's Why

Few Star Wars characters are as beloved by fans as Grand Admiral Thrawn, one of the Empire's most dangerous military leaders. According to IGN, Thrawn originally appeared in the 1991 novel Heir to the Empire. Since then, he's appeared in numerous shows and books both before and after Lucasfilms chose to wipe the Expanded Universe's slate clean and start over.

However, Thrawn isn't your average space Nazi. For starters, he's a Chiss, a race of blue-skinned aliens from the Galaxy's unknown regions that have a predisposition toward keen intelligence. Thrawn's alien origins make him an oddity among the mostly human ranks of the Imperial military. However, his ability to outthink even a Jedi sets him apart from his competitors. He's famous for studying the cultures of his opponents in order to learn their behaviors, something which gives him an edge over his enemies. He's also one of the only people who actively double-crosses the Empire. Despite being officially exiled from the Chiss homeworld, Thrawn is actually a double agent gathering intelligence for his superiors in the unknown regions.

It's obvious why fans would love a character as cool and unique as Thrawn and why Lucasfilm would choose to keep him around. Most recently, Thrawn was name-dropped in the latest season of The Mandalorian. This has led fans to believe that Thrawn may appear in season 3, and they have a specific actor in mind for the role.

Unfortunately, Star Wars fans may not get what they want in the end. Recently, Collider spoke with Benedict Cumberbatch about the fanbase's call to have him take on the role of Thrawn in Mandalorian season 3. Much to the fanbase's chagrin, Cumberbatch was adamant that Thrawn would be a no-go for him.

"There's no way I want to be turned blue," said Cumberbatch. "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."

Granted, Cumberbatch has as good of a reason as any to deny the role. Family time is important, even for a famous actor. But at the end of the day, it's still disappointing for fans to hear that their number-one pick for Thrawn just isn't feeling it.