Star Wars Episode 8 Cast: Meet New R2-D2 Actor, Del Toro’s Character Named?

The Star Wars Episode 8 cast officially welcomes its latest addition as Scottish actor Jimmy Vee is set to portray the role of R2-D2 for the upcoming installment of the franchise.

Vee who is also known for his roles in the TV series Doctor Who and The Harry Potter films will come in the late Kenny Baker’s stead. The original actor passed away at the age of 81 back in August 2016, which is the same year Star Wars fans also bid farewell to another iconic cast member of the film series, Carrie Fisher who plays the role of Princess Leia.

Baker went on to play the role of the beloved robotic droid in all the six earlier films in the series, including Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope back in 1977. But, it seems like the R2-D2 character is in good hands.

We're thrilled to announce that #OhSoSmall actor @RealJimmyVee is the new #R2D2!

Full story here: https://t.co/eR2OKAdDR4#StarWars pic.twitter.com/FT1IAWno8I

— Oh So Small (@OhSoSmall) February 13, 2017

Vee is not exactly new to the role as he has already done some work as R2-D2 for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, although his efforts went uncredited in the end, Variety reports. The actor has been a “padawan” for Kenny Baker and he acknowledged this in a statement via a press release from his agency, Oh So Small.

“It’s been an absolute pleasure to have worked alongside the legendary Kenny Baker,” said Vee. “Kenny was a fantastic actor and taught me all the ‘tricks’ on how he brought R2-D2 to life which I will continue to portray in his honor. I’m so excited to be a part of the Star Wars universe and can’t wait for everyone to see what we’ve been working so hard on for the last year.”

Apart from Vee, another new member is set to join the Star Wars Episode 8 cast. Earlier reports say that Puerto Rican actor Benicio Del Toro is going to play a yet to be confirmed role in the upcoming film, which is set to hit the theaters later this year.

While there has been no official word yet from Disney and Lucasfilm, it was also previously reported by the Making Star Wars fan site that the character of Del Toro could turn out to be some dangerous guy and also referred to as the “man in black,” because of his all-black outfit.

This time, YouTuber Mike Zeroh is claiming that Del Toro could play the role of one Vicrum Fett who notably has the same surname as the well-loved bounty hunter Boba Fett, says Movieweb. According to Zeroh’s recently uploaded video in his YouTube channel, the new tidbit regarding Del Toro’s character was sourced from Wikiwand.com.

Zeroh said that the site has previously listed the character name of Benicio Del Toro for Star Wars Episode 8: The Last Jedi as Vicrum Fett. The listing was now modified and Del Toro’s character was now set as TBA.

The new Star Wars film is written and directed by Rian Johnson who is known for his works in the 2012 film Looper, and the TV series Breaking Bad where he helmed a few episodes. Star Wars Episode 8 will be shown in cinemas worldwide starting December 15.

Other cast members set to appear in the upcoming film include Daisy Ridley as Rey, John Boyega as Finn, Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron, Lupita Nyong’o as Maz Kanata, Gwendoline Christie as Captain Phasma, Domhnall Gleeson as General Hux, Billie Lourd as Lieutenant Connix, and Andy Serkis as Supreme Leader Snoke, among others. Carrie Fisher will also appear in the film as the production wrapped up before the actress died on December 2016.

[Featured Image By Willrow Hood/Shutterstock]