'Rogue One' Adds Diego Luna, Confirms Ben Mendelsohn

We’ve been hearing rumors for a couple of months that Australian actor and Bloodline star Ben Mendelsohn would be joining the cast of Gareth Edwards’ Star Wars: Rogue One anthology film. Disney and Lucasfilm have now confirmed those rumors to be true — not only is Mendelsohn playing the film’s main antagonist, but Diego Luna has joined the cast in a leading role opposite Felicity Jones.

Variety broke the news of both castings, reporting that Luna will play a fellow Rebel fighter battling the Empire alongside Jones, who was the first star cast in the anthology film. Nightcrawler breakout star Riz Ahmed is also on board, with Mendelsohn officially confirmed as Rogue One’s main villain.

Edwards and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy recently confirmed the plot of Rogue One at a panel during Star Wars Celebration — the film centers on a group of Rebel fighters who attempt to pull off a heist to retrieve the plans for the Death Star. Ahmed and Luna will also play Rebel fighters in the film, which is said to take place between Episode III and Episode IV.

Mendelsohn is one of the fiercest actors working right now, with knockout performances in Bloodline, Ryan Gosling’s Lost River, Black Sea and the upcoming Slow West. Luna is best known for roles in Y Tu Mama Tambien and Elysium, and has recently moved into producing and directing, helming films like last year’s Cesar Chavez.

Star Wars: Rogue One is the first of two planned Star Wars “anthology” films — director Josh Trank recently exited the second film, with no word on his replacement.

Rogue One will hit theaters on December 16, 2016.

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