Due to the nature of Gareth Edwards’ ‘Star Wars: Rogue One’, it’s not surprising that a number of stars are being brought in to fill out the cast. After all, with the film being described as an intergalactic ‘Ocean’s Eleven’, there’s sure to be a number of key players. So far, the cast already includes Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Riz Ahmed, Ben Mendelsohn, and Forest Whitaker. But now, it appears that the director is bringing in some talent from outside of Hollywood for the first ‘Star Wars Anthology’ film.
According to Yahoo News, Jiang Wen may be the latest star to join ‘Rogue One’. The actor/screenwriter/director from mainland China is known for such films as ‘Warriors of Heaven and Earth,’ ‘Let Bullets Fly,’ and ‘Gone With The Bullets.’ Currently, there is no word on what role he would play or how big the role would be if he were added to the cast of the first ‘Star Wars’ spinoff, but chances are that the casting could be confirmed sooner rather than later since production is currently ongoing.
This news comes a bit after rumors that a number of Asian actors are being brought into a galaxy far, far away over the next few years. Back in January, reports surfaced saying that Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian, and Cecep Arif Rahman from ‘The Raid 2’ are all playing parts in J.J. Abrams’ ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens.’ Then more recently, it has been said that Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen was being looked at for a role in ‘Star Wars: Episode VIII’ from Rian Johnson. Now with the news that Wen may be the latest addition to ‘Rogue One.’ it looks like Lucasfilm and Disney are finally answering the question that I’ve been asking since I was a small child: Where are all the Asians in ‘Star Wars’?
What do you think about Jiang Wen joining the cast of ‘Star Wars: Rogue One’? Are you glad to see that the ‘Star Wars’ universe is finally diversifying by adding more roles for women and people of color? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
‘Star Wars: Rogue One’ hits theaters on December 16, 2016.
