The Rogues Gallery Grows: Diego Luna cast in Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One

Yesterday, Variety reported that Diego Luna, known in the Anglosphere for his roles in Just Walking, Elysium and The Book of Life, as well as for sitting on the Washington Office of Latin America’s prestigious Board of Human Rights, has been cast along with Felicity Jones in Gareth Edwards’ Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One as one of the rebel fighters.

At the recent Star Wars Convention in Anaheim, California, Edwards and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy revealed that the plot of Rogue One revolves around the heist of the Death Star plans by a group of rebel fighters, with Jones starring as one of the rebel soldiers. The film will take place between Episode III (2005) and Episode IV (1977), but closer chronologically to A New Hope, and thus shortly after Star Wars: Rebels (2014).

Sources say rumoured co-star Riza Ahmed also plays a rebel fighter and that the film will be an ensemble piece similar to The Dirty Dozen. Ben Mendelsohn was also reported to be in talks for another lead role in Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One, and while initially denying such rumors, it’s now been confirmed that he will be playing the main villain.

On their part, Disney and Lucasarts have no comment on any of this. This is to be expected, however, as the only team that they (or we) know to be talented enough to gather insider information from them is already stealing the Death Star plans on their orders. Rumours that Disney has dispatched probe droids to the Hoth system to locate the source of this leak have so far been unconfirmed.

Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One is set to hit cinemas on December 16, 2016.