Since Disney made its shock acquisition of Lucasfilm and announced a new Star Wars trilogy, we’ve heard plenty of speculation about Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Harrison Ford (Han Solo) and even the likes of Ian McDiarmid (Emperor Palpatine) and Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi) returning to a galaxy far, far away for the J.J. Abrams-directed Star Wars: Episode VII.
Well it seems we can now throw another beloved character into the mix, with UK casting agency Spotlight putting out a call which seems to indicate that everyone’s favourite Wookie Chewbacca will be back in the new trilogy. According to the casting call, Walt Disney Pictures, Lucasfilm and Bad Robot for a “male, 7ft to 7.3ft tall with a slim/thin build and upright posture. Not too worked out of too ‘thick set’ especially in the shoulders. Broad facial features would be a bonus.”
Now there is the possibility that this could be for an entirely different character altogether, but if the original trio of Luke, Leia and Han are set to return, then it makes sense that Han’s best buddy will be part of the reunion too. And with Peter Mayhew (who played Chewie in all three Original Trilogy movies, as well as Revenge of the Sith) pushing 70 and relying on a walking stick these days, it seems highly unlikely that he’d be able to cope with the demands of the role.
Originally published September 23, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
