Chewbacca actor Joonas Suotamo has answered whether fans will see the iconic Wookiee after Star Wars: The Rise of the Skywalker, or if the fan-favorite character is bowing out alongside the Skywalkers.
Joining that galaxy far, far away in 1997's Star Wars: A New Hope, Chewie has been a huge part of the franchise, and appeared in six main Star Wars movies, Solo: A Star Wars Story and J.J. Abrams' upcoming Episode IX. However, is this the end of the road for the furry fuzzball?
Suotamo spoke to Radio Times about Chewie's potential future beyond The Rise of the Skywalker. The 32-year-old told the site, "Well, we’re going to have to wait and see." Refusing to confirm or deny Chewbacca's fate, Suotamo added, "I would love to see Chewie more, but everything depends on this next film and the story."
Suotamo famously took over from Peter Mayhew, who played the role from 1977 until his retirement with Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015. Whether Chewbacca meets his maker in The Rise of the Skywalker and joins best friend Han Solo remains to be seen, but even if Abrams has planned the character's swansong, it sounds like Suotamo would like to reprise the role.
Continuing about what fans can expect from The Rise of the Skywalker, Suotamo confessed, "It's a great story, and we're gonna have to wait until December to see what that's all about. Everyone's back together, they're going on a great adventure together, facing the ever-growing danger from the First Order. And that's gonna be something to see."
Even if Chewie isn't destined to make it through The Rise of the Skywalker alive, there's a chance he could return for Jon Favreau's The Mandalorian. The Iron Man director has already confirmed that a number of classic Star Wars characters will appear in his Disney+ series.
It's no secret that Abrams intends to round off the Skywalker saga that was started by George Lucas all those years ago. While Daisy Ridley has already claimed she's done playing Rey after the next installment, at least Suotamo gives a glimmer of hope that Chewie could return in some capacity.
Directed and co-written by J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Keri Russell, Anthony Daniels, Mark Hamill, Billy Dee Williams and Carrie Fisher, with Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant. The film arrives Dec. 20.