WookieeLeaks: Who Is Domhnall Gleeson Playing in ‘The Force Awakens’?

ScreenCrush’s WookieeLeaks is a weekly roundup of everything Star Wars! From The Force Awakens to the upcoming spinoffs and the TV shows, if it pertains to that long ago, far away galaxy, we’re covering it here, bringing you our expert analysis. This week, dive into the deep end with Domhnall Gleeson rumors, see who is joining Star Wars Rebels next season, and prepare yourself for a Star Wars cruise!

Tons of Surprisingly Important Video Game News

Normally, when WookieeLeaks goes into Star Wars video game news, we bury it toward the bottom of the post. Not because we don’t like video games (we love video games!), but because this is a film and television site. We lead with what you are probably here to read about. But this is a special day! Not only have a whole bunch of details about the upcoming Star Wars: Battlefront appeared online, they have created one of the coolest Star Wars: The Force Awakens rumors we have heard in quite some time. Even if you don’t play video games, you may want to read on.

Star Wars: Battlefront is, of course, the relaunch of the extremely popular video game franchise where players pick a side in the galaxy’s ongoing conflict and battle to the death in huge multiplayer matches. If you’ve ever had the desire to control a Stormtrooper and blast some Rebel scum into oblivion (or vice versa), this is the video game franchise for you!

Anyway, the folks at Making Star Wars received a huge info-dump about the game. If you want all of the nitty-gritty details, make sure you head over there. We’ll get the most important stuff:

The game will allow players to participate in battles across every film, although the emphasis will be on the original trilogy time period. There will only be a handful of missions set during the prequel era (thank the Maker) and there will only be one mission that takes place during The Force Awakens (hmmm).
Some missions will take place in between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. However, there won’t be that much content during that era because “Lucasfilm has a lot of plans for that era.” Hmmm again!
Unlike the previous games, the new Battlefront will allow simultaneous land and space combat, which is going to lead to all kinds of craziness. Matches will top out at 64 players, with each side having 32 gamers teaming up to kill the other 32.
Like the previous game, players will eventually be able to play as “hero” characters. That means original favorites like Darth Vader, Yoda, and Luke Skywalker, but it also means new characters from The Force Awakens, which includes characters we have already seen in action in the trailer.

The info-dump contains the names of several mission stages, which includes everything you’d expect (Hoth, Endor, etc), but it also includes several versions of Tatooine, including one for The Force Awakens. Does this mean we finally know the identity of that desert planet in the trailer?

And finally (this is a big one), there is a character set to appear in the post-Return of the Jedi segments of the game with a very familiar name. No first name, but his surname should ring a bell: Tarkin.

Yeah, let’s dive into this one in a new section.

Let’s Talk About Domhnall Gleeson

We are going to get into some immediate discussion about who Domhnall Gleeson is playing in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. If you want to know nothing and don’t even want to participate in spitballing and discussion, stay away. We honestly don’t think his (potential) identity is a true spoiler, but J.J. Abrams seems intent on keeping it secret. So feel free to mosey on to the next section if you want to know nothing.

Okay? Ready? This is your last spoiler warning.

Last week, we heard a rumor that Gleeson is playing the son of an existing major character. We also heard that he was an Imperial officer, a turncoat from the Rebel Alliance who betrayed his own people. However, he’s actually a rogue agent, working to remove any an all superweapons from the galaxy. But his plan backfires and he soon reignites the long-simmering cold war between the Rebels and the Empire.

We initially speculated that Gleeson could be the son of Han Solo, because that would give the old smuggler a serious crisis of conscience to fight against his own son. Then, another rumor hit: Gleeson was playing the spawn of Luke Skywalker, which also made sense. Gleeson could totally pass as Mark Hamill’s son. We have no idea how that gels with other rumors we have heard about Luke’s role in the film, but from a purely visual standpoint, it makes sense.

As fans debated this rumor and potential truth behind it, Star Wars 7 News introduced a theory so crazy that we honestly hope it turns out to be true. They believe (and we want to believe with them) that Gleeson is playing a descendent of Grand Moff Tarkin.

You may remember that Grand Moff Tarkin was the the real Big Bad of the original 1977 Star Wars. Played by the great Peter Cushing, he was the cruel Imperial Admiral who held Darth Vader’s leash, commanded the Death Star and actually ordered the destruction of Alderaan. He was a nasty piece of work, but he was a nasty piece of work who died when the Death Star blew up with him on it.

Remember when we talked about how a character named Tarkin is set to play a role in the post-Return of the Jedi/The Force Awakens segments of Star Wars: Battlefront? Since the original Tarkin was reduced to space dust, that means he must have had kids. And maybe he even has a grandkid. And maybe that grandkid lives with the constant shame that his grandfather was a monster who blew up an entire planet with an Imperial superweapon. And maybe he’s now an adult and dead-set on making sure that never happens again.

Plus, Domhnall Gleeson really looks like he could play Peter Cushing’s grandson. Cheekbones!

LucasFilm

There is other evidence as well. One of the first books to be published in the new, Disney-approved Star Wars canon was Tarkin by James Luceno, which delves into the character’s life story. A still-living Tarkin is set to appear as a recurring villain on Star Wars Rebels. Disney and Lucasfilm obviously want everyone to remember that Tarkin existed and played a major role in the Star Wars universe. What if they’re quietly laying the groundwork for us to fully appreciate how The Force Awakens brings his extended family into play?

Just some food for thought. Chew on that for a bit.

Your Weekly Dose of Star Wars Rebels

Star Wars Rebels still has a few episodes left in its first season, but work has already begun on season two ... and a few familiar faces will be showing up. Take this with a grain of salt until something official comes along, but one report says that season two will feature the return of Darth Vader (and James Earl Jones’) voice, an appearance by Emperor Palpatine, and (this may require a drumroll for some of you) Ahsoka Tano. Yes, Anakin Skywalker’s pupil from Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Wow, that Jedi-free galaxy sure has a lot of Jedi, huh? A second report says that the show is also going to feature Han Solo and implies that they’re actually pursuing Harrison Ford to return to the role. That won’t happen, but hey, it’ll be nice to see everyone’s favorite charming smuggler put in an appearance.

But that’s all rumors and speculation for now. In the meantime, here are two clips from the next episode of season one, “Rebel Resolve”:

Billy Dee Williams Has Faith and Other Little Stories

Billy Dee Williams, aka Lando Calrissian, is playing hard to get. In a new interview, actor discussed returning to his classic character for Star Wars Rebels, but he also made it clear that he hadn’t watched the trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Still, he loves doing Lando and he’d be totally down to come back for a future film. After all, he seems convinced that fans were totally upset that he wasn’t brought back for the next one:

Yeah, people were pretty upset about it. But I uh ... I may very well ... I have a feeling I’m going to show up [somewhere in the Sequel Trilogy]. There’s nothing I can really discuss about it at this stage. People think of me as the original cast, but I didn’t come in until the second movie. I did Empire and then I did Return of the Jedi, but I came in after everyone else was introduced ... So I think they’re probably proceeding in that way. I can’t imagine them not bringing Lando back. But we’ll see, I don’t know.

That’s how Lando would smuggle. Make them beg for you to come back.

Moving on! Here’s John Boyega dodging Star Wars questions at the BAFTA Awards, because that is what he does these days. Dodge Star Wars questions.

And here’s a brief chat with Gary Whitta, the first screenwriter of Gareth Edwards’ upcoming spin-off film. He can’t say much (Disney snipers are watching), but his passion shines through: