Well, after months of speculation and rumors, the cast of the new Star Wars film has officially been announced.  And with a pic of the table read to boot!  The cast is made up of some of your old favorites, some quasi-familiar faces, and some practically brand new faces.  So let’s dive in!

Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker.  

What you know them from: One of them you know from a whole slew of things and the others… you know from only Star Wars for the most part (with a shout out to Carrie Fisher’s appearances in Blues Brothers and 30 Rock).

My guesses as to who they will be playing: The only roles that are not up in the air at this point, Ford, Fisher, and Hamill will be reprising their roles as (much older versions of) Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Luke Skywalker.  Anthony Daniels will again be donning the C-3PO suit.  And power to him for still being able to fit into that thing.  Peter Mayhew will be playing everyone’s favorite fuzzball, Chewbacca, and Kenny Baker will again be manning R2-D2.

My thoughts: It is interesting that so many of the original cast is back here.  Disney and Co. obviously know that it is important to tread lightly here and are trying to make the transition as fluid as possible for the fans.  I anticipate that not everyone is going to make it out of Episode VII alive (RIP Han?), but maybe we can keep the driods?

John Boyega

What you might know him from: The Brit can be seen in the little known, but really good alien invasion flick Attack the Block, the upcoming 24: Live Another Day, and Sundance film Imperial Dreams.  So really not a whole lot.

My guesses as to who he will  be playing: He is listed first on a list that is not in alphabetical order.  Does this mean that he will be the hero of our story?  My money is on yes.  Perhaps Skywalker’s protege before he goes off to be that great Jedi in the sky?

My thoughts: I like to unknowns get big breaks in BIG movies, so I like it.  Also, if he is the lead, it is nice to see a man of color as the lead of what will surely be the biggest release of the year.  Even if he is the only diversity in the cast.  What do you expect? It’s still Hollywood.

Daisy Ridley

What you might  know her from: Probably nothing.  But her IMDb credits include an episode of Mr. Selfridge and other UK TV shows that haven’t made it across the pond including, Youngers, Toast of London, and Silent Witness

My guesses as to who she will be playing: Very much like the old Star Wars, this new cast only has one lone female.  So it is a safe bet that Ridley will be playing the butt-kicking female love interest, but maybe they will throw us through a loop and she will be the villain?  No, she’ll be the butt-kicking female love interest who maybe turns up in a gold bikini?  No, we’ll mix it up and make it silver this time.

My thoughts: I can’t have too many as I have never seen her in anything, but another unknown as a supposed lead!  Cool!  And another Brit! Maybe there is a new planet called Anglophinia or something.

Adam Driver

What you know him from: Adam on my favorite Girls (not!), Inside Llewyn Davis, Frances Ha, and Lincoln

My guesses as to who he will be playing: Maybe this is just my antipathy for Girls coming through, but my money is on him playing a villain.  He is just so despicable on that show that I can’t see casting being creative enough to cast him otherwise.

My thoughts: When this guy is one of the more well-known people in a cast, that is saying something.  I am fairly impressed with this Star Wars for thinking outside the box in terms of casting, but then I suppose you have that kind of freedom when you are freaking Star Wars movie.

Oscar Isaac

What you know them from: The titular lead in the Coen brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis, Carey Mulligan’s husband in Drive, and Prince John in the 2010 Robin Hood.

My guesses as to who he will be playing: This one is probably the hardest to predict.  A Han Solo like character?  Bad guy?  Good guy? It’s too hard to tell and seeing as how the creators are giving us very little to work with in regards to what the story will be, it’s too early to call.

My thoughts: Sure.  Looking at his IMDb, I respect his choices and he seems due for a blockbuster.

Andy Serkis

What you know them from: You may not know HIM from a whole lot, but you know his work as he has become the go-to guy for CGI motion capture characters.  Gollum in Lord of the Rings, Caesar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and King Kong in Peter Jackson’s version, to name a few.

My guesses as to who he will be playing: Is there even the slightest chance that he will be playing a flesh and blood character?  No.  Maybe a small side character in addition to a CGI character or whole slew of CGI characters.

My thoughts: Duh.  It seems like a given these days that if you have a movie that will rely upon performance capture, you call Serkis.

Domhnall Gleeson

What you know them from: Aww, you guys.  About Time (!), Bill Weasley in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 & 2 (!), and starring alongside Michael Fassbender (!) in this summer’s indie darling Frank.  Also, he is the son of Brendan Gleeson, probably best known to Fangirly readers as Mad Eye Moody.  Whoa, I just imagined a contrived fanfic where Mad Eye and Molly Weasley had a torrid affair that resulted in a love child.  

My guesses as to who he will be playing: It is hard to imagine him as anything but some sort of charming, aw-shucksy type because I love him in About Time so much.  Also, he is just too ginger to be a villain.  Right?  That’s a thing, right?

My thoughts: This takes our Brit count to 4!  And I am so on board with this one.  Definitely the name that I was most excited to see listed.

Max von Sydow

What you know them from: If you are a member of my family, Strange Brew.  For everyone else, The Exorcist, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Minority Report, Shutter Island, Flash Gordon, and that same Robin Hood with Oscar Isaac.

My guesses as to who he will be playing: The second most difficult to call, but it is going one of two ways.  He is going to either be a wise, prophetic type a la Obi-Wan Kenobi or a dark, menacing, hooded type a la Palpatine

My thoughts: Yeah, okay.  They had to have one revered actor type on the list and it is nice to see one who is still a lesser known choice on that “revered actor” list.

 

Overall, I’m pleased and will be excited to see how all the characters shake out.  What do you all think?  Are you more or less concerned about this new Star Wars movie?

 

–Ellen