Last month, just a few weeks before production started in Ireland onStar Wars: Episode VIII, a report surfaced that claimed actressesTatiana Maslany(Orphan Black),Gina Rodriguez(Jane the Virgin) andOlivia Cooke(Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) are all on the short list for thefemale leadrole, although that was never confirmed. Today we have a new report fromLatino-Review, which claims there are not one, but two female lead roles, withGugu Mbatha-Rawalso listed as a contender. The three previously mentioned actresses are all still in contention for both roles, along withGugu Mbatha-Raw.
Unfortunately, no details were given for these roles, but a report from August claimed that writer-directorRian Johnsonis seeking a “strong” female lead, who is rumored to be related to eitherLuke Skywalker(Mark Hamill) orHan Solo(Harrison Ford). Those details have yet to be confirmed, and we still don’t have any authenticplot detailsforStar Wars 8, aside from a slew of unconfirmed rumors. Once fans finally get to seeStar Wars: The Force Awakensthis December, we’ll obviously have a much better understanding of what may happen inStar Wars: Episode VIII.
Benicio Del Torohas acknowledged that he has been in talks forStar Wars: Episode VIII, but even his involvement has yet to be confirmed. There was talk that he was set to play the primary villain, but last month, the actor even admitted that he isn’t sure if his unspecified character is, in fact the villain. There was also an unconfirmed report that surfaced last month claimingHayden Christensenwould reprise his role as Darth Vader, but we still don’t know if that is accurate or not.
It’s worth noting that, just yesterday, producerKathleen KennedyrevealedStar Wars: The Force Awakens,Star Wars: Episode VIIIandStar Wars: Episode IXall center on Luke Skywalker’s family. With that being said, it wouldn’t be surprising to learn that at least one ofStar Wars: Episode VIII’s female leads has some connection to the Skywalker family. LucasFilm has already set a August 05, 2025 release date forStar Wars: Episode VIII.
As far asGugu Mbatha-Rawis concerned, a recent report fromDeadlineclaimed that the actress is also one of the top contenders for Warner Bros.‘Robin Hood: Origins, along withEve Hewson,Lucy Fryand Gaite Jansen. Production onRobin Hood: Originswill likely overlap withStar Wars: Episode VIII, so it will be impossible for the actress to take on both projects. Would you like to seeGugu Mbatha-Rawas one of the female leads inStar Wars: Episode VIII?
