StarWars.com broke the Internet yesterday when they announced the cast for Episode VII.
I thought that they would announce the cast on May 4th, Star Wars Day. But I was more than happy see the actors J.J. Abrams has assembled a few days earlier.
The amazing cast photo above, which looks very similar to a number of the production photos from the original trilogy, accompanied the list below.
Actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker in the new film.
I’m excited that Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker are all returning. I love Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, Threepio and Artoo and can’t wait to see them again.
I’m less excited about the other actors joining the cast, most of whom are relatively unknown to me. I am happy, though, that Disney didn’t fill the cast with actors from its stable of current and former child stars like Zac Efron and Miranda Cosgrove. Though I’d watch iCarly In Space.
The cast reveal has me even more excited for Episode VII but it’s also raised some questions.
- Where is Billy Dee Williams? Land Calrissian is one of the most interesting characters from the original trilogy. Also, he was one of the only black characters in the trilogy other than the “She Gonna Blow” X-Wing pilot from Return of the Jedi. New cast member John Boyega is black but hopefully he’s not the sole representation of diversity in a galaxy far, far away.
- Is Max von Sydow a Jedi Master or a Sith Master? Von Sydow is an elderly and respected actor. I can’t imagine an actor of his stature came on board to play a mere politician or lowly smuggler. He’s 85 years old. If I were 85 years old I wouldn’t get out of bed for anything less than a Jedi or Sith Master.
- Who is going to play the Solo children? Even though the Star Wars Expanded Universe has been demoted to non-canonical, it still seems that Han and Leia should have some children. They probably won’t be Jaina and Jacen, but maybe other Solo progeny created for the new trilogy.
- Will Andy Serkis play a digital character? Andy Serkis is an amazing actor. His motion capture performance of Gollum was amazing. He not only brought the character to life, but also made him sympathetic in spite of his violent nature. I know Abrams and company want to use more practical effects and rely less on CGI than the prequels. If they have to create a digital character, though, there’s no better actor than Serkis to portray him. Even Serkis, though, couldn’t have saved Jar Jar Binks.
- Adam Driver has to be the villain, right? I read a story that Driver was in talks to play the film’s villain. Based upon the photo below, could he play anybody else? I’m sure he’s a nice guy, but he’s got Sith written all over him.
Knowing that Episode VII has a cast and is actually happening makes me smile. My first nerd love was Star Wars and I am so excited to see my favorite space opera continue on the silver screen. I need to temper my excitement, though, because December 18, 2015 is a long time from now.
What do you think of the cast for Episode VII?
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