UPDATE! Star Wars: Rogue One – Mads Mikkelsen Explains His Character.

Mads

In an interview with Sky News, Mads Mikkelsen explained his role in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and revealed that the character he’s playing is related to another major player in that film.

 

Mild spoilers for Rogue One ahead.

 

(Rogue One talk lasts from the beginning to around the 1:40 mark.)

 

 

So there you have it – Mikkelsen is playing the dad of Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones). It’s kind of funny how he went “I’ve said too much!” after that, along with the whole “I could tell you if Darth Vader’s in the movie, but I won’t” thing – excellent recovery!

 

Mads Mikkelsen Felicity Jones

Based on what Mikkelsen has said, his character should be named “Galen Erso” based on the familial reveal here and a signature he left a while back. Regardless of his name, Mikkelsen playing the father of Jones’s character does line up with an earlier report – one that suggests that the character is a key architect behind the construction of the Death Star’s superlaser. Horrified by the results of his work, he tips off the Rebels about the weapon’s existence, leading Mon Mothma to recruit his daughter to recover the plans for the space station.

 

UPDATE!

 

The London Evening Standard has had a brief interview with Mads Mikkelsen, who is now clarifying a bit of information about his role after letting the cat out of the bag.

When asked if Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) or members of the original trilogy had joined the cast on set, he told Standard Online: “Some of them – but I would reveal too much. There are iconic characters in our film and also characters you have never heard of. It’s a mix.”
 
“I spend a lot of time with [Jones] and she’s a wonderful actress. I play her dad at the time of Felicity and I play her dad when she’s younger, so we jump back and forth in time.”

Mikkelsen also revealed an interesting fact about himself – he actually didn’t see the Star Wars movies until after production had wrapped. As such, he had to ask for a bit of help from people on-set in understanding the context of certain things that were referenced.

 

As for the “iconic characters” appearing, it’s pretty doubtful that any of A New Hope‘s leads will show up in Rogue One (with the possible exception of a small set of cameos from Leia, C-3PO, and R2-D2 near the end of the movie). Mikkelsen is most likely referring to a few supporting characters from the Original Trilogy… and a little character named Darth Vader. Maybe Emperor Palpatine, too (since we did see the Imperial Guard in the first trailer), but nothing’s certain.

 

+ posts

Grant has been a fan of Star Wars for as long as he can remember, having seen every movie on the big screen. When he’s not hard at work with his college studies, he keeps himself busy by reporting on all kinds of Star Wars news for SWNN and general movie news on the sister site, Movie News Net. He served as a frequent commentator on SWNN’s The Resistance Broadcast.

Grant Davis (Pomojema)

Grant has been a fan of Star Wars for as long as he can remember, having seen every movie on the big screen. When he’s not hard at work with his college studies, he keeps himself busy by reporting on all kinds of Star Wars news for SWNN and general movie news on the sister site, Movie News Net. He served as a frequent commentator on SWNN’s The Resistance Broadcast.

52 thoughts on “UPDATE! Star Wars: Rogue One – Mads Mikkelsen Explains His Character.

  • April 28, 2016 at 10:43 pm
    Permalink

    He tends to be typecast as villains but this man can play an awesome good guy.

    • April 28, 2016 at 11:54 pm
      Permalink

      or even both at the same time! Unless I got the wrong impression about Lector, maybe he’s meant to be just a villain…. 😐

      • April 29, 2016 at 2:14 pm
        Permalink

        he was great fun as fabled knight Tristan in KING ARTHUR (2004)

    • May 1, 2016 at 1:20 pm
      Permalink

      You should watch his danish movies. He plays an awesome lead character.
      there are 4 films: flickering lights, adams ables, the green butchers and men and chickens. all 4 are hillirious 😉

  • April 28, 2016 at 11:05 pm
    Permalink

    I guarantee that’s probably not something Lucasfilm/Disney was ready to unveil just yet.

    • April 28, 2016 at 11:09 pm
      Permalink

      It may not necessarily be a major spoiler, but knowing how tightly and secretly they’ve held plot points in TFA and presumably all future SW movies, I’m sure this is something they’d want to unveil on their own terms.

      • April 30, 2016 at 6:02 am
        Permalink

        This IS their own terms. He would have been briefed on what he is and isn’t allowed to say just prior to the interview.

    • April 29, 2016 at 7:25 am
      Permalink

      It was already rumoured months ago.

    • April 29, 2016 at 1:50 pm
      Permalink

      File under: ‘Faux pas’

      • April 30, 2016 at 11:53 pm
        Permalink

        … don’t you mean “Faux *PA*” ? 😉

        • May 1, 2016 at 4:03 am
          Permalink

          Dirk?

  • April 28, 2016 at 11:05 pm
    Permalink

    Spoiler if someone has the big hability of deduction…
    I decided not to read this news until december. Then I entered here and without touching anything, on the top right i read: official galen erso (mads……….
    The rest is history :p

    Now i’m cheating to my head thinking he could be the father, the husband, the brother or the holy spirit lol

    I’m from the resistence!

    • April 28, 2016 at 11:35 pm
      Permalink

      Hold tight, bro ! i do the same but only for the Saga movies.

    • April 29, 2016 at 12:31 am
      Permalink

      You resist!

  • April 28, 2016 at 11:33 pm
    Permalink

    I loved this guy in Valhalla Rising ! I doubt he will have the same room he had in VR though

  • April 28, 2016 at 11:35 pm
    Permalink

    “Whoops! I said a spoiler! so much for the Abramsian Mistery Box!”
    Food, that report seems to become always more legit

    • April 29, 2016 at 12:31 am
      Permalink

      Thankfully, Abrams has nothing to do with this one

  • April 29, 2016 at 1:41 am
    Permalink

    It was nice knowing ya Mads…Disney gonna rough ya up a bit on the way out

    • April 29, 2016 at 2:26 am
      Permalink

      You never know, actors/directors/producers love to play games. This could be an intentional “leak” and it’s being played off as an accidental leak for publicity sake. We’ll never know, at least not any time soon.

      • April 29, 2016 at 3:16 am
        Permalink

        Yeah it could certainly be a purposeful leak, regardless, we got some news! Lol

    • April 29, 2016 at 2:27 am
      Permalink

      Doubt it.

  • April 29, 2016 at 4:28 am
    Permalink

    Has he learned nothing from Saorise Ronan?

    • April 29, 2016 at 10:35 am
      Permalink

      it’s Saoirse…

      • April 29, 2016 at 4:42 pm
        Permalink

        Speaking of which – anyone ever figured out her name? I always pronounce it “Sheer-sha” as I heard someone say that one time. I’m not sure though.

        • April 29, 2016 at 5:13 pm
          Permalink

          As an Irish person I can tell you, it’s pronounced – Sir-sha.

          • April 30, 2016 at 3:49 pm
            Permalink

            I always thought it was pronounced sour-rice. Thanks for clearing that up.

          • May 2, 2016 at 6:59 pm
            Permalink

            Thanks. Sir as in “Yes, sir”?

        • April 30, 2016 at 5:52 am
          Permalink

          Look up Colbert’s interview with her on The Late Show man, they go over the pronunciation together (and its funny).

        • May 1, 2016 at 1:24 am
          Permalink

          I thought it was “Seer-see”.

      • April 30, 2016 at 3:15 am
        Permalink

        I never bothered to correct it since I knew someone like you would for me. lol.

  • April 29, 2016 at 5:11 am
    Permalink

    Did no one even notice that he said Rogue One comes between VII and VIII? At the :30 second mark.

    • April 29, 2016 at 5:30 am
      Permalink

      Yeah, as in release date times, nothing to do with the actual story-lines

      • April 29, 2016 at 4:41 pm
        Permalink

        I think his delivery of the statement was confusing though. He said between 7 and 8…but he also said it’s the first Star Wars. As someone who keeps up with the movie news, I understand that he could have meant it comes out between 7 & 8, and it takes place in the timeline before the original Star Wars. But if one had no idea about R1, his statement could seem contradictory. Does it take place between 7 & 8? 3 & 4? or even before 1?

        • April 29, 2016 at 4:46 pm
          Permalink

          It would certainly be confusing to the uninitiated however everybody is fairly well kept up to date with the Internet and so you’d hope that they would have some kind of knowledge of the Release schedule for these films…it wouldn’t make sense to everyone but I would think the majority could work out that this film clearly isn’t set between 7 and 8

        • May 1, 2016 at 1:23 am
          Permalink

          I find it funny that it says that takes place before any Star Wars movie you’ve ever seen. He obviously doesn’t possess much knowledge about the prequels.

  • April 29, 2016 at 6:21 am
    Permalink

    Rey’s grandfather confirmed! Does this mean he is a Kenobi too? 🙂

  • April 29, 2016 at 9:46 am
    Permalink

    Meh.

    • April 29, 2016 at 6:24 pm
      Permalink

      you probably say that to every star wars news. gtfo of here

      • April 29, 2016 at 10:13 pm
        Permalink

        /shrug

        • April 30, 2016 at 3:19 am
          Permalink

          Join me… and together we can rule the galaxy.

      • April 30, 2016 at 10:26 pm
        Permalink

        I’d say about 80% BS – the oodles of Force ghosts is hugely unlikely. BUT, having read the full / spoilered-out synopsis of the new novel ‘Bloodlines’, the bits w/ Laura Dern’s character kinda ring truish – especially her casting aspersions on Leia’s Skywalker / Vader heritage…

  • April 30, 2016 at 5:22 pm
    Permalink

    If “Galen” is indeed the father of Jyn Erso, I strongly doubt he is destined to survive the movie. It would seem that his daughter is estranged from him and has taken up a criminal lifestyle, going on what we learn about her in the trailer. If Galen is the now-repentant scientist that has perfected the Death Star superweapon, we may see him put the plans in her daughter’s hands as he learns about her mission, and they are reconciled. But his “treason” will likely cost him his life; perhaps he will be cut down by Darth Vader himself. For Jyn the whole thing has now become deeply personal, and she has to escape with the plans to honor her father’s sacrifice.

    • May 1, 2016 at 7:00 pm
      Permalink

      He may be a brilliant engineer, but he may also be crazy. “Galen” sounds like “gal” which means crazy in e.g. scandinavian, right? Maybe that’s why she is estranged from him and had to be on her own….

      • May 1, 2016 at 9:35 pm
        Permalink

        Yes, “gal” does mean crazy/mad, and in one variant of my native Norwegian it can actually have the longer form “galen”. But the name Galen, with no such meaning, is known from classical antiquity as well.

        Surely Mads never got to name his own character, as if the script-writers asked him: “What do you think is a good name for a crazy person portrayed by a Scandinavian?”

        I should rather like to see him as a brilliant scientist (not a “mad” scientist) that finally gets the Death Star to work, then grows a conscience.

  • April 30, 2016 at 6:04 pm
    Permalink

    Felicity Jones fits being his daughter, there is something similar about the shape of their mouths….

  • April 30, 2016 at 7:15 pm
    Permalink

    Poor Luke …. son of Darth Vader and son-in-law of Le Chiffre ….

    • May 1, 2016 at 5:01 pm
      Permalink

      lol XD

Comments are closed.

LATEST POSTS ON MOVIE NEWS NET