While the main story here is obviously the surprise announcement that Carrie Fisher will return as Leia Organa in Star Wars: Episode IX via unused footage from The Force Awakens, the rest of the cast for the pic also contains a number of interesting additions to the franchise.
Naturally, we’re going to see Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo and Billie Lourd returning to their roles, but two fascinating additions to the roster are Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant, together with the confirmation that Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels will be appearing in the movie, not to mention the return of Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian.
Richard E. Grant is always good value for money, and given his droll Englishness and stern demeanor, it’s likely he’s playing some kind of commander in the First Order. Naomi Ackie, meanwhile, is a little more difficult to place, though we’re certainly excited to see her here as she received some solid buzz for Lady Macbeth in 2017 and has popped up in Doctor Who and Vera.
Confirmation that Hamill will be returning, presumably as a Force Ghost, is also welcome, perhaps soothing the anger of fans who’re still upset about the way he went out in The Last Jedi. And, while we’ve been pretty sure for a while that Billy Dee Williams would be back, it’s still nice to have it in writing.
One final nice addition is a confirmation that the film will feature a full score from John Williams. This was by no means a guarantee, despite his scoring every mainline Star Wars movie to date, as the guy is 86 and nobody would hold it against him if he decided to retire. I’d imagine this will be his last crack at a score for the franchise, too, so expect him to go out with a bang.
It’s exciting to watch Star Wars: Episode IX gradually take shape like this, and surely it can’t be too long before we get an announcement of the official title, right? Either way, the shoot will begin soon, so expect there to be a steady trickle of on set leaks that should give us a much better idea of what we can expect on December 20th, 2019.
