Star Wars: The Force Awakenswill soon be upon us, andStar Wars: Episode VIIIwill be here before you know it. We don’t know how many of theForce Awakenscast will make it to the next installment of the sequel trilogy, but we now have the film’s first bit of major casting sinceBenicio del Torosigned on back in July to play a villain role.
Tonight, we can exclusively report thatGugu Mbatha-Raw(Beyond the Lights) is joining the cast. While negotiations can always break down and nothing is official until Disney announces it, we feel confident in our reporting.
We don’t have any details on her role, which isn’t surprising (come to think of it, we’re a couple months away fromThe Force Awakensand we still don’t really have any details on those new characters either). Will she be a total newcomer into the universe? Is she related to any of the characters we’ll meet prior toEpisode VIII?Is she playing a human or an alien?
All of these questions will be answered in due time, but I’m just glad that they’ve gone after such talented actresses for major roles, especially Mbatha-Raw, who was due for a breakout role in a blockbuster following her acclaimed performances inBeyond the LightsandBelle.
Curiously, Mbatha-Raw flew under the radar when it came toEpisode VIIIcasting.Latino-Reviewdid report a few days ago that she was being eyed for the film, and at the beginning of September, we reported thatGina Rodriguez,Tatiana MaslanyandOlivia Cookewere on the shortlistfor the female lead and that they were doing chemistry reads withForce AwakensstarJohn Boyega. Earlier tonight,THRreported that Maslany was signing on for the Boston Marathon Bombing movie, which would likely make her unavailable forEpisode VIII. Whether she passed onStar Warsor they passed on her, it looks like they have someone in mind, and it appears to be Mbatha-Raw. However, it’s also possible there’s more than one female lead and Rodriguez (or some other actress) is still in the running for the other part.
If she does sign on, it shows that theStar Warsmovies are continuing to crush it when it comes to casting. I don’t know how it will all shake out, but producerKathleen Kennedyand her directors have shown a sharp eye for spotting emerging talent likeJohn Boyega,Oscar Isaac,Felicity Jones,Gwendoline Christie, and more. If you haven’t seenBeyond the Lights, you can watch it on Netflix right now. You’ll immediately be a Mbatha-Raw fan.
Mbatha-Raw will be seen later this year in the NFL dramaConcussionand early in 2016 withThe Free State of Jones. She’s also co-starring in the live-actionBeauty and the Beast, which opens in 2017.
Star Wars: Episode VIIIopens July 12, 2025.
