This afternoon saw the first official casting announcement for the hotly anticipated Star Wars VII. Whilst the rumour mill has been going into overdrive since the project was announced – some stories seemed more solid than others. Most notably that Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford are all set to reprise their original roles.
As of today we now know that Max Von Sydow, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis and Adam Driver will be joining the cast, as well as further returning faces Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Kenny Baker. However, we are slightly dubious about the casting of the apparent three young leads played by Domhall Gleeson and relative newcomers John Boyega and Daisy Ridley.
So being the fussy and uncontent people that we are, we have come up with five stars that are sorely lacking from the new chapter in the saga – some well-known faces to the series, others highly-speculated names that we had hoped to see. Of course, today is only the first official casting that has been put out there – so there is still a vague glimmer of hope that some of these names may appear.
Zac Efron
Zac Efron is surely the perfect movie star – gorgeous good looks, lashings of charisma, and a cheeky glimmer in his eyes. As of this morning he was still rumoured to be playing a major role in the franchise – with the actor himself noting that there were ‘irons in the fire’. However, he’s missing from today’s announcement. We need Zac to bring in some of that charm and sex appeal that stars like Domhall Gleeson just don’t have (sorry).
Judi Dench
Dame Judi was another rumoured name back in January with the actress being tipped for the role of Mon Mothma – a character played by Caroline Blakiston in Episode VI and Genevieve O’Reilly in Episode III. Senator Mothma was an important political figure from the waning days of the Galactic Republic who would go on to serve as Chief of the New Republic (thanks IMDB). Mothma is likely to be a smaller supporting character – so it’s understandable that this would not be unveiled in the first announcement (if true).
Jonathan Rhys Meyers
The Tudors stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers already had experience working with director JJ Abrams on Mission Impossible III and was one of the first names tipped for a role in Episode VII – however, this rumour did not gain much traction. Meyers has a dark charm and coldness that would make him perfect for the role of a series villain – however, it looks like Driver has filled that role unfortunately.
Lupita Nyong’o
After her triumphant turn in 12 Years a Slave, Lupita Nyong’o is sought to become one of the hottest properties in Hollywood with her name appearing in connection with Episode VII on several occasions. The remarkably talented Lupita could add some depth and her trademark off-set glamour to the Star Wars universe which would have surely made for a winning combination.
Billy Dee Williams
Yes, everyone remembers Luke, Leia and Han Solo – but real fans are likely to reserve a special place in their hearts for Billy Dee William’s Lando Calrissian – who appeared in Episodes V and VI. Williams still embraces his most-notable role – with appearances in video games and his most recent homage on Dancing With the Stars which is camp heaven. So come on JJ, let’s get Lando back too.
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