See full gallery on TechnoBuffaloEver since Mads Mikkelsen was cast on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, people have speculated about how he’d be involved. Given his past roles in Hollywood—he was Le Chiffre in Casino Royale—people naturally assumed he’d be playing a villain, but it turns out his role is much more complicated than that.
While appearing on Sky News this week, Mikkelsen was coy about his role in Rogue One, but he did reveal a huge detail: He’ll play Jyn Erso’s (Felicity Jones) dad. Normally that wouldn’t be a huge detail, but it actually lines up with a previous rumor claiming the actor actually plays an enormous part in the creation of the Death Star.
Back in January, Making Star Wars reported Disney was using the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer as the inspiration for Rogue One, with Mikkelsen in the Oppenheimer role. Apparently Mikkelsen’s character, rumored to be named Galen, will play the scientist who takes over the Geonosian Death Star Project, solving several key flaws the Empire couldn’t.
His contributions directly lead to the Death Star’s creation, making him responsible for millions and millions of deaths. Mikkelsen, of course, doesn’t confirm any of these details, but the fact this his character his Jyn’s father could be how she eventually comes into possession of the Death Star’s plans.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is set for a Dec. 16, 2016 release.
Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen reveals that he's playing the father of the main character in Star Wars film Rogue One https://t.co/6dagUqZB2j
— Sky News (@SkyNews) April 28, 2016