Foregoing the requisite “galaxy far, far away” jokes, it appears that J.J. Abrams may have begun casting Schmoesknow.com reprinted text from a casting website announcing the availability of roles in a film directed by Abrams, and offered descriptions of seven characters who are set to appear in it.
Details are scarce about the plot of the film, which was written by Michael Arndt (“Oblivion,” “Catching Fire”). But the first character is described as “a young man aged between 20 and 25, witty and smart, fit but not classically handsome.” Interestingly, that seems to resemble the physical description of Luke Skywalker but the personality of Han Solo, but that seems like an unlikely genetic combination. That is, unless the fella is Han and Leia’s son, who perhaps resembles his uncle but retains the scrappy charm of his father.
A second male character is described as a “man in late twenties, also fit, but this one is handsome and confident.” While this description suits Han Solo to a tee, an interesting characterization for this role would be an Anakin Skywalker type. Already self-possessed and confident, he could either have his sense of security shaken, or find himself going down a path where confidence leads to, well, the Dark Side, as has been thoroughly documented in “Star Wars” films several times.
The first female character listed is described as “late teenage” with a “great sense of humor, also physically fit.” Sadly, there were few female characters in either trilogy that possess all of these qualities — as strong and interesting as Leia and Padme were, they weren’t known for their jokes. But even though Ahsoka Tano, Anakin’s padawan in “Clone Wars,” was more brash and reckless than especially funny, she might fit the bill if one were looking for a character to compare to this “Episode VII” role.
A second young female, described as “also late teens, tough, smart and physically fit,” could easily be cut from the Leia/ Padme mold. As mentioned above, both of those characters are serious-minded — except when it comes to their love interests — but they both come up under privileged but challenging circumstances and are forced into leadership positions at an early age, which would produce some interesting chemistry if they were paired (or pitted against) the aforementioned male characters.
Three more male characters are listed, one “in his forties, obviously physically fit” and “a military type;” another “around thirty” who’s described as “an intellectual type;” and lastly, a “guy aged around seventy, strong opinions and tough.” Given the scruffy nature of the Rebel Alliance and its penchant for promoting folks like Han Solo and Lando Calrissian into leadership roles, it stands to reason that the new film could find an age-appropriate proxy for those characters, or even Ewan McGregor’s interpretation of Obi Wan Kenobi. Admittedly, none of these characters are rigid disciplinary types, but their acumen in battle could serve the film’s action set pieces well. Conversely, this character could be an adversary for the heroes, especially since militaristic characters have long been a staple of the “Star Wars” series’ hive of scum and villainy.
The thirty-ish intellectual sounds a whole lot like C-3PO, although by all accounts Threepio and Artoo will appear in the film since they’re the only canon characters who are rumored to appear in every one of the films. Whether this means the actor cast will play the role underneath Goldenrod’s armor, a newer version of him, or if it’s absolutely necessary, a different character with the smarts to balance out his companion’s brawn, would be a welcome addition to the ensemble’s chemistry.
And “a guy aged around seventy, strong opinions and tough”? Well, if that ain’t Han Solo, we don’t know what is. Harrison Ford could walk onto set and possess all of the qualifications that role requires. Then again, someone like Morgan Freeman or Samuel L. Jackson, each of whom is just outside that age range (in obviously different ways) could provide a wonderful counterpoint to the rest of the cast, not the least of which because if there’s one thing a literal universe of different characters and species needs, it’s multiple races, ethnicities and faces.
Of course, all of this is just speculation; George Lucas hasn’t yet consulted us on what his plans are for the franchise. But you’ll be the first to know after he calls us!
Check out everything we’ve got on “Star Wars: Episode VII.”
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