There are a lot of Star Wars Episode 7 rumors floating around out there and most of them will turn out false. However, when a fresh faced Oscar winner is mentioned, I pay attention. Apparently, J.J. Abrams is looking at Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave) for a possible lead role in the franchise.
Nyong’o joins a list of other rumored names including the awesome Benedict Cumberbatch, the very talented Adam Driver (seriously, watch him in the Coen Brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis), Michael B. Jordan (The Human Torch in the upcoming Fantastic Four movie) and David Oyelowo (The Butler).
From the sound of it, Adam Driver is a lock to be one of the main antagonists in Star Wars Episode 7.
There was also a shortlist of actors last week to possibly star as the male lead in the new movies, including John Boyega (Attack the Block), Ed Speleers (Downton Abbey), Jesse Plemons (Breaking Bad), Matthew James Thomas and Ray Fisher.
If Abrams is looking at going multinational with his cast, and is looking at Nyong’o for the lead role then I think matching her up with Plemons as the two leads. Plemons looks like he could be Luke Skywalker’s son, if nothing else. However, I would love to see Boyega get a chance in a franchise like this as well.
Of course, we are also getting back Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford, as the later was the final one to come aboard and might have done so with the guarantee of two more Indiana Jones movies in his future.
Nyong’o was spectacular in 12 Years a Slave and to see her cash that in for something significant like Star Wars Episode 7 is the exact reason that the Oscars is so important for young actors. At the same time, there are some sites who believe she is not up for a “major lead role” but just as a key character in the Star Wars universe.
Source: Latino Review