The next phase in the Star Wars cinematic universe is well under way which means rumors abound. The latest one comes from Hong Kong tabloid the Daily Apple, stating that action star Donnie Yen (Ip Man, Blade II) has been cast in Star Wars: Episode VII.
The article says Yen will play a Jedi and shoot scenes with Harrison Ford.
There are several red flags with this report, starting with the facts that the tabloid has a reputation for being sensationalist and Episode VII is not scheduled to start shooting any time soon.
However, there might be some interesting truth to the rumor.
This isn’t the first time the new wave of Star Wars films have cast martial artists. Could this be a trend for the action and aesthetic of the new films?
Or, perhaps, Yen won’t be cast in Episode VII at all but Gareth Edwards’ Rogue One. The film starts shooting this summer, which makes a lot more sense.
While Edwards confirmed there will be no Jedi in his film, which goes against the initial rumor, Twitch reported that Edwards and his crew have been looking to cast a Chinese actor in the film.
As of now, there’s no way to know what could be truth and what will simply turn out to be rumor. We think Donnie Yen would make a great and talented addition to the universe, but all we can do for now is wait and see.
Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One, directed by Gareth Edwards and starring Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Forest Whitaker, Ben Mendelsohn, and Riz Ahmed, is set to hit theaters on December 16, 2016.
Would you want to see Donnie Yen in a Star Wars film? Who would you want him to play? Share your ideas in the comments!
