Idris Elba could be the next major Star Wars villain we see on the big screen, after reports from GFR revealed that he is the frontrunner for the antagonist character in Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s untitled movie. The movie will see the return of Daisy Ridley as Rey and her attempt to rebuild the Jedi Order, following the events of the Sequel Trilogy.
During the 2023 Star Wars Celebration event, there were three new movies were announced, by Lucasfilm, to be released over the next few years: Dawn of the Jedi, Dave Filoni’s movie, which is expected to be titled Heir to the Empire, and the untitled Rey movie. Rey’s new Jedi Order movie is the one pushing furthest ahead in the timeline, which comes with plenty of potential for characters and storylines we haven’t seen before.
There is expected to be a 15-year time jump from after the Sequel Trilogy, with the upcoming project expected to happen around 50 ABY. We do not know much about the state of the universe at this time, but after the defeat of the Empire and the First Order, it is hard to imagine that a major threat will have established dominance over the galaxy in the same way.
Who could Idris Elba’s character be?
There is now one clue about who might threaten the New Republic. According to a report from GFRobot, they claim that Idris Elba will be next in line to play a sinister role in the Star Wars franchise. As of now, there are no details about who he could play, other than the fact that he supposedly is in “talks to join Daisy Ridley’s upcoming Star Wars feature.”
Star Wars has had some of the most iconic villains of all movies. The likes of Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, and Darth Maul are just a few of the terrifying antagonists. Screenwriter Steven Knight who is crafting the script for the feature now has a great actor lined up to capture whatever villain he chooses to introduce.
Whether the villain will start off as a Jedi or if he appears from somewhere else entirely, we can likely expect Idris Elba’s character to object to Rey’s goal of restoring the New Jedi Order to its former glory. But will he be strong enough to pose a threat?
Will Idris Elba’s villain be a Sith?
In the Star Wars Galaxy of Jedi and Sith, it would be the obvious choice to make him a Sith character. Known for their immense raw power and connection to the dark side, it could make him an even match for Rey, who has proven herself as the strongest remaining Jedi during the Sequels.
However, there are plenty of other force users and enemies of the Jedi order in Star Wars’ extended universe. The Yuuzhan Vong or “the far outsiders” as they are known to certain races, could be another option as a threat to the Republic. Nihil marauders, who we see attacking the Jedi Temple on Tanalorr, are another faction that could be interesting.
The Nihil were seemingly wiped out by the Republic before the Emperor’s rise to power. But, after all this time they could have built themselves back up to match the strength they once had. Seeing their return to seek vengeance against the Jedi and the New Republic could be another interesting angle.
As of now, even Idris Elba’s involvement has yet to be confirmed by Lucasfilm or anyone working on the new movie, so we will have to wait and see when that happens, and what his role might actually entail. For now, Star Wars fans can look forward to the likes of Ahsoka, which could give us a better idea of how the universe will look before Rey’s return.