From Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan Kenobi to Daisy Ridley as Rey, the Star Wars franchise has consistently reserved a large section of its cast list for the English, and nowhere is this more evident than amongst the uniformed oppressors of the Empire and First Order.

So, when it was announced that Richard E. Grant would be joining the team for next year’s Star Wars: Episode IX, many quickly speculated that he would be playing another stern and villainous Englishman of the Grand Moff Tarkin or General Hux variety. But to go one better, MovieWeb are reporting on a theory that pinpoints a specific character that the Logan and Doctor Who baddie could be playing, and it’s quite intriguing.

The villain in question is Grand Admiral Thrawn, a blue-skinned member of the Chiss species who’s yet to be seen in live action form, but whose appearances in various comic books,...