The Star Wars franchise is finally gearing up to return to the big screen. At Star Wars Celebration this year, Lucasfilm revealed not one but three new theatrical adventures that will bring the galaxy far, far away back to theaters worldwide. These three films, however, are not a trilogy that will follow the same group of characters. Instead, they are each standalone movies that will explore different areas and times of the Star Wars universe.
This approach is meant to breathe new life into the franchise by giving every kind of Star Wars fan something to look forward to. Dave Filoni will be directing a film that will serve as the culmination of his Mandoverse shows, such as The Mandalorian and Ahsoka. Another film will be directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and will see Daisy Ridley return as Rey in a story set 15 years after Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker.
Perhaps the most interesting of these new films is the outing that will be directed by James Mangold. As the director behind films like Logan, Walk the Line, Ford v Ferrari,and the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Mangold has become known as one of the best directors working today. Having him aboard a Star Wars film is exciting in and of itself, but adding to the anticipation is the setting the film will be exploring. Mangold’s film is set in the new era titled “Dawn of the Jedi,” which is approximately 25,000 years before any Star Wars stories we’ve seen on-screen so far.
Mangold has described the film as a biblical epic inspired by the likes of Ben-Hur and The 10 Commandments. Given this approach and the time between this film’s setting and the rest of the Star Wars franchise, Mangold will be free to tell essentially whatever story he wants. The Star Wars series is already one of the biggest in the modern era of entertainment, but there are still plenty of actors that we would love to see join the franchise. Here are 11 actors that we would love to see work with Mangold on his new “Dawn of the Jedi” movie.
11 Chiwetel Ejiofor
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Chiwetel Ejiofor is no stranger to blockbuster filmmaking. He has previously appeared in several major movies for Disney, such as Doctor Strange, 2019’s The Lion King,and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil. However, none of these films have really allowed Ejiofor to showcase his acting abilities to their fullest extent. As he’s proven in films like Children of Men and 12 Years a Slave, Ejiofor is a truly phenomenal performer.
Yet, he hasn’t gotten the chance to really shine in a major blockbuster. This could be that opportunity. Mangold has proven on multiple occasions that he’s capable of getting the best out of the actors he works with, and seeing him team up with Ejiofor on Star Wars would be a great recipe for success. Ejiofor has previously shown he can be a menacing antagonist, but we’d just be happy to see him in any role here, hero or villain.
10 Hong Chau
Though she has been working in film and television for a couple of decades now, Hong Chau has just recently gotten the mainstream attention that she deserves. Just last year, she made a great impression on audiences through her work in both The Menu and The Whale, the latter of which she received an Oscar nomination for. Chau’s career has a lot of momentum right now, and we would love to see her capitalize on that with a film like this.
A lot of Oscar nominees have unsuccessfully tried to jump right into blockbuster filmmaking over the years, but with a talent like Mangold steering this ship, Chau would be in great hands. She played supporting roles in The Menu and The Whale, but we would love to see what she could do as a lead in a big movie like this.
9 Alexander Skarsgård
Alexander Skarsgård is an actor that has been just below the threshold of mainstream popularity for a while now, and casting him in a Star Wars movie like this could finally give him the push he needs to become a household name. He has a great history of working in both indie and blockbuster films and bringing his all to any role he’s given. He has done particularly great work recently as the lead in Robert Eggers’ The Northman and in the supporting role of Lukas Matsson in seasons three and four of Succession. Before that, he starred in major blockbusters like 2016’s The Legend of Tarzan and 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong.
His father, Stellan Skarsgård, is already doing a phenomenal job portraying Luthen Rael in the Star Wars Disney+ series Andor. By bringing Alexander aboard a project like this, Mangold would be setting up his Star Wars film to have an element of prestige and esteem to it.
8 Zoe Saldaña
As the fourth highest-grossing actor of all time, Zoe Saldaña is pretty well-set career-wise. She has appeared in a number of major franchises, ranging from Star Trek to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Avatar. She’s proven on more than one occasion that she’s an incredible action star and an outstanding dramatic actor in whatever she’s in, whether it has a budget of $20 million or $300 million.
Star Wars is one of the few major franchises she has not been involved with at this point, which is surprising considering she’s a perfect match for the series’ tone. She can handle comedy, drama, and action all with equal precision, and she’s infinitely charismatic to match. Considering the Guardians of the Galaxy films are coming to a close with Vol. 3 this summer, she’ll have a little more time on her hands to commit to a major franchise like Star Wars.
7 Steven Yeun
Ever since he made waves with his breakout performance as Glenn in The Walking Dead, Steven Yeun has been building quite the resume. Not only has he done excellent voice work in projects like The Legend of Korra and Invincible, but he has also delivered one great performance after another in movies like Okja, Burning, Minari and Nope.
His career is only continuing to grow as well, as he’s set to star opposite Robert Pattinson in director Bong Joon-ho’s new sci-fi epic Mickey 17, and he will be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a significant role in the Thunderbolts movie. Yeun is growing into a bigger star with every passing year, and he would be a perfect fit for Mangold’s Star Wars movie.
6 Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver is essentially Hollywood blockbuster royalty at this point. After making a name for herself in franchises like Alien and Ghostbusters, Weaver has continued to grow into more of a legend. She is one of only a dozen performers to be nominated for multiple acting Oscars in the same year, and she has contributed to many of the industry’s biggest franchises, namely Avatar. She’s a sci-fi film icon, and it is honestly kind of surprising that she hasn’t been in a Star Wars film yet.
We'd love to see her play a key role in Mangold's film, perhaps as a part of the galaxy's early government or as a religious leader familiar with the Force.
5 Dave Bautista
After an immensely successful run with the WWE, Dave Bautista is one of the few professional wrestlers that has been able to become arguably more successful in the film industry. After his breakout role as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy, Bautista has continued to showcase his acting chops in films like Spectre, Blade Runner 2049, Dune, Army of the Dead, Glass Onion and, most recently, Knock at the Cabin.
Bautista has proven that he can deliver outstanding performances in both lead and supporting roles, and we would love to see him get the chance to continue his hot streak with a role in Mangold’s Star Wars film. Bautista has already worked with a number of great directors, and he could really thrive in a collaboration with Mangold.
4 Tilda Swinton
Tilda Swinton is the kind of performer that can always be relied on to deliver. She’s taken on an array of roles ranging from the White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia to the lead in George Miller’s Three Thousand Years of Longing,the Ancient One in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and numerous parts in films from Wes Anderson. She has an incredibly distinct presence as an actor, and she can do just about anything that the script would ask of her.
Bringing Swinton aboard Mangold’s Star Wars film would give the project some real weight in the acting department. She could take on essentially any type of character in the film, but it could be particularly interesting to see her in some kind of antagonistic role.
3 Regé-Jean Page
Regé-Jean Page is a star on the rise in Hollywood right now, and a role in Mangold’s Star Wars film could give him the extra momentum he needs to really explode onto the scene. He first made a big impression on audiences through his work in the first season of Bridgerton in 2020. Since then, he has appeared in a few things, but he has made the biggest impact with his supporting role in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
He’s infinitely charismatic and likable, and he's the kind of performer that is going to get snatched up by a major franchise sooner or later. He would be an excellent choice for a lead role in Star Wars.
2 Daniela Melchior
After her breakout role in The Suicide Squad, it’s a surprise that Daniela Melchior hasn’t gotten more work already. She was the heart of that story and gave one of the best performances in a film with an astoundingly stacked cast. She plays a small role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and will soon appear in Fast X as well, but it still feels like Melchior’s talents are being wasted a bit.
She's shown that she's an incredible talent who deserves to have a larger presence in the mainstream film industry. With a central role in Mangold’s Star Wars film, Melchior could prove that she’s not an actor to be doubted. We would love to see her level up in a movie like this.
1 Hiroyuki Sanada
Finally, Hiroyuki Sanada is a legend in the action and martial arts film space, yet he is constantly underutilized in American films. He famously appeared in one sequence in Avengers: Endgame before being unceremoniously killed off. Thankfully, he has been getting more and more work every year. Recently, he has appeared in the likes of John Wick: Chapter 4, Bullet Train, Mortal Kombat,and Army of the Dead.
On top of that, he and Mangold have already worked together as well, as Sanada played the villain in 2013’s The Wolverine, which Mangold directed. He’s well-known for his work in martial arts, and he could lend some real talent to the cast of this film.
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