With little over three months to go until The Force Awakens jump-starts Disney’s new-fangled take on the Star Wars franchise, we’re tantalizingly close to the beginning of a new era, with a myriad of stories ready to be told in this most prestigious of cinematic universes. And though J.J. Abrams’ 2015 heavyweight is chewing up the scenery ahead of its debut in December, Gareth Edwards’ Star Wars: Rogue One quietly entered development quite recently, and a new tidbit that surfaced today allegedly reveals that role of Hannibal star Mads Mikkelsen in the standalone feature.
Upon attending last weekend’s FanExpo event in Canada, one fan got the Danish actor to sign his poster, where Mikkelsen inscribed an additional word that many assume to be the name of his character in Rogue One.
Beneath the autograph is the word Galen, which will no doubt pique the interest of those who have played the video game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. In LucasArts’ title, Galen Malek acted as the main protagonist, one who was even able to use the power of the Force. What makes us so sure that Mikkelsen is consciously referring to this character in particular? Well, situated above the actor’s autograph is one belonging to Phil LaMarr, who lent his vocal chords to Kit Fisto in The Clone Wars.
Is this a done deal, then? Not likely. Fans of The Force Unleashed will know that Galen (often referred to as Starkiller) was a Jedi who succumbed to the aura of the dark side. In the case of Rogue One, we’ve long heard that Edwards has no plans to include any Jedi in his galactic heist thriller, instead focusing on the motley crew he’s assembled. As such, it’s best tapering your expectations for Mikkelsen’s role, though it’s understood said role won’t be the film’s chief antagonist.
Speaking of which, that ragtag bunch will be toplined by Felicity Jones, Riz Ahmed, Diego Luna, Donnie Yen, Jiang Wen and Firefly alum Alan Tudyk. Star Wars: Rogue One will bring together the galaxy’s most notorious outlaws in time for December 16, 2016.