Aquaman's Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will star in Damon Lindelof's Star Wars film, if a recent rumor is to be believed.
Reputable scooper Jeff Sneider claimed that Lindelof is keen to cast Abdul-Mateen, whom he previously worked with on HBO series Watchmen, in his untitled Star Wars project in an episode of the Hot Mic podcast. "We talked about how the leads are black, right?" he said. "It's a black man and a black woman. I was told -- and I think I've said this before, so make sure to note this when you're doing it, I've already said this -- the black actor came attached to the movie. Who does Damon Lindelof have a relationship with? You know, who did he just work with on [the] last thing that got him this job? You wanna say [Abdul-Mateen's name] so I don't have to?"
"I mean did he fit the description that I was given about an actor that's gone back and forth between film and television, and yet has never been a lead of his own film?" Sneider continued. "I guess you could say that. Furiosa, I consider him a lead in that movie, but again the movie is called Furiosa, so he technically fits that description. Are we looking at Yahya in Star Wars? I think it's a possibility." It's worth noting that Lucasfilm is yet to make any casting announcements regarding Lindelof's Star Wars movie. As such, the buzz surrounding Adbul-Mateen's potential involvement in the project should be treated as pure speculation for now.
Daisy Ridley Discusses Lindelof's Star Wars Movie
News of Lindelof's Star Wars film broke in October 2022. Little is known about the plot of the untitled production, however, it will reportedly take place after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. It will also serve as a standalone entry in the saga's canon, rather than as a direct continuation of The Rise of Skywalker's narrative. That said, Lindelof is supposedly open to incorporating characters from that film and the other two entries in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, into his new story. Sequel trilogy star Daisy Ridley has since confirmed she's "open" to appearing in Lindelof's film, in the event she's invited to reprise the Rey role.
Returning to the Star Wars universe would provide Ridley another opportunity to show off her lightsaber skills, which the English actor fine-tuned over the course of all three Star Wars sequels. Ridley recalled being trained to use the iconic weapon in a recent interview, revealing that she was taught to wield it using her non-dominant hand.
Damon Lindelof's Star Wars movie does not yet have a release date.
Source: The Hot Mic, via YouTube