The Han Solo Star Wars movie, which probably won’t be called Han Solo: A Star Wars Story, will have a fully CGI character, just like K-2SO, the Imperial combat droid from Rogue One. Variety reports that this unknown CGI addition to the ensemble may be played by English actor and playwright Phoebe Waller-Bridge, best known for Fleabag, a BBC series she writes and stars in (you can watch it on Amazon Video).
If cast, Waller-Bridge’s character will appear alongside Chewbacca (formerly Peter Mayhew, but more likely his understudy Joonas Suotamo), Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich), Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) and an unnamed Han Solo father figure played by Woody Harrelson.
Fully CGI characters have been a tricky addition to Star Wars movies. While it’s unlikely we’ll ever return to the dark days of Jar Jar, The Force Awakens demonstrated that even a great actor, in this case Lupita Nyong’o, can have mixed success enlivening a CGI creation, particularly one as ultimately secondary to the plot as Maz Kanata. But most seem to agree that it worked for Rogue One, whose K-2SO (Alan Tudyk) was just about the most fleshed out character in the film. Whose death was more upsetting: Cassian Andor’s or his robot’s?
Casting a witty English actor with a strong comedy background emphasizes just how different, tonally, the Han Solo movie is likely to be from past Star Wars movies. Steered by The Lego Movie directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, we’re likely looking at a, gasp, actually funny Star Wars movie.
The untitled Han Solo movie is out in theaters May 25, 2018.
