‘Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One’ Finds Male Leads?


While the Star Wars Celebration event in Anaheim, California, did a lot to clarify a lot of goings on in the Star Wars universe, there were still plenty of mysteries to keep fans on their toes.

We were given a great deal of information about Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the latest episode in the main storyline, which began with Episode IV: A New Hope back in 1977. We even got a lot of goodies regarding the Star Wars Anthology films, which are films that take place within the Star Wars universe, but outside of the main Skywalker/Solo family line. The first of these standalone films is Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One, which is set to be directed by Gareth Edwards, who most recently helmed the Godzilla reboot.

While Rogue One has been on fans’s radars for quite awhile, the only real detail we had about the film was that it was set to star Felicity Jones, who was recently nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in The Theory Of Everything. Since then, we’ve learned that the story follows a group of rebel soldiers who are working to steal the Death Star plans in hopes that it’ll help take down the evil Empire.

Fans now have a plot to cling onto, but despite knowing that Jones would lead the film, there was no information on any other stars attached to the film. Now, days after Star Wars celebration has closed its doors, we have two male leads in the running for Rogue One.

Riz Ahmed
Riz Ahmed alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler.

According to Variety, Riz Ahmed is up for the lead in the film alongside Felicity Jones. Moviegoers may recognize Ahmed from the film Nightcrawler. Another actor currently being eyed by the Star Wars filmmakers is Sam Claflin. He may not be a household name just yet, but fans will definitely recognize him from the Hunger Games franchise, where he played Finnick Odair, one of the many victors, TheWrap reports.

Sam Claflin
Sam Claflin in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

Are these two up for the same role or different ones? While there is no confirmation either way, all reports aim toward these roles being different. This would make sense, as Rogue One is likely to have more of an ensemble cast, given that it’s aiming to be something of a war movie. While war movies do typically have leads, they also tend to have a diverse ensemble cast from many walks of life that audiences can attach to (just take a look at films like Saving Private Ryan, Zero Dark Thirty, and Black Hawk Down).

Are you excited to see these two in the upcoming film? Let us know below. Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One is set for a December 16, 2016, release date.

[Image Credits: Slash Film, Cultjer, Movpins.com]

Share this article: ‘Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One’ Finds Male Leads?
More from Inquisitr