The mills are alive with the sound of Star Wars casting rumors! We have already covered three possible contenders for the female lead in the Star Wars: Episode VIII cast, including Jane the Virgin’s Gina Rodriguez and (!) Orphan Black’s Tatiana Maslany. The third, Olivia Cooke, is out of the running due to her commitment to Ready Player One according to Heroic Hollywood. But to quote Super Smash Bros., “a new challenger approaches!” Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who gave a remarkable and critically-acclaimed performance in Belle, is now reportedly on the shortlist for the second movie in the hotly anticipated new Star Wars trilogy.
We’d love to see Maslany in the new Star Wars films, but Mbatha-Raw makes for a fierce contender. The fact that such exciting new talents are being considered bodes well for all three actresses, as well as for us as fans. If, as Heroic Hollywood is reporting, two lead roles in Episode VIII share the same shortlist, we may (fingers crossed) end up seeing Maslany, Rodriguez, and Mbatha-Raw each starring in roles for Episode VIII or possibly Episode IX.
Episode VIII is currently slated for a May 26, 2017 release and The Force Awakens debuts December 18. There’s still some time for producers and directors to decide on casting before shooting begins, so it may be a while before we know who’s in and who’s out. But there’s really not a bad choice to make in this situation.
<Yoda voice> Waste talents like these, Star Wars casting directors should not. </Yoda voice>
Who are you pulling for? Place your bets and let your comments fly below!
—
Image: Wiki Commons
