From Alec Guinness to Emilia Clarke, the Star Wars galaxy has often found itself with a high population of British people, and that goes especially for the villains. And seeing how Richard E. Grant has a reputation for playing antagonists, it only makes sense that fans have continuously predicted he’ll once again be seen as a baddie in the upcoming Star Wars: Episode IX.
That seems to be confirmed now, too, thanks to some leaked concept art. Seen in the gallery down below, it’s a pretty juicy piece of material, as it gives us looks at an older Lando, Rey’s new outfit and much more. But among the most interesting things is confirmation of Grant’s role, with the actor pictured in photo C and the accompanying slide telling us that he’s playing an FO Officer – or a First Order Officer.
So, that officially puts all those Thrawn theories to bed then, but considering that Grant’s a highly respected actor, we imagine his role is a bit more important than just an insignificant officer in the First Order. He may not be a villain on the level of say Kylo Ren, but we suspect he’ll still be getting a fair amount of screen time in Episode IX.
Given the intense spoiler security measures that Grant’s reportedly under though, we shouldn’t expect any more clarity on his role until the film hits theaters. The actor’s assured us though that the developments being kept under wraps are worth all the secrecy, as he said the following not too long ago in an interview:
“Oh, it’s definitely worth it. If you’re a Star Wars fan, and I am, then knowing what’s coming in this is quite something. I absolutely understand why they’re so secretive about it, because it’s very exciting.”
Of course, it’s not just Grant’s character that’s been the source of much speculation, as topics like Rey’s ancestry and the role lined up for Luke Skywalker are also being hotly debated at the moment. As always, though, Lucasfilm is remaining their usual tight-lipped selves, but all will be revealed when Star Wars: Episode IX hits theaters on December 20th, 2019.