J.J. Abrams, a notoriously secretive director, has actually already revealed most if not all of the main cast members for his upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII. I, for one, wasn’t even expecting that much from the upcoming blockbuster (which hits theaters next December), but the sheer amount of news related to Star Wars that has been pouring out of Hollywood in the past few weeks has been truly stunning. And today, we’ve got yet another interesting rumor related to the film. IGN Middle East reports that Simon Pegg was recently spotted on the Star Wars set in Abu Dhabi and in fact has a secret role in the project.
Now, take that scoop with a massive grain of salt, because Pegg previously talked about Star Wars: Episode VII with The Independent and said the following:
“I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to be in it, to be honest. I think J.J. should cast new faces with no stunt casting.”
Then again, neither Pegg nor Abrams, frequent collaborators who have worked together on Mission: Impossible III and the two new Star Trek films, have good track records with telling the truth to the press. Both insisted that Benedict Cumberbatch was not playing Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness, and we all know how that turned out.
So, it is possible that Pegg could have a cameo or small role in Star Wars, though I’m not sure how I feel about that. What I liked about the announced cast is that it’s filled with lesser-known but talented actors (I’m particularly excited that Attack the Block breakout John Boyega made the cut) – and some complete unknowns, like Daisy Ridley. Adding Pegg to the mix would feel a bit like stunt casting, especially given how familiar he already is to sci-fi fans as the new Scotty in Abrams’ Star Trek movies.
Star Wars: Episode VII opens December 18th, 2015. I guess we’ll find out then if Pegg is involved or not.