Spencer Wilding Added to the Cast of Han Solo but Likely Not as Darth Vader

Spencer Wilding, the Welsh actor who physically portrayed Darth Vader in scenes for Rogue One, has recently cancelled plans to appear at fandomfest.com in Louisville, KY. Now as many fans who attend events like these know, appearance cancellations by actors and media members from time to time are not abnormal occurrences, however the reason given for Wilding’s cancellation has certainly made us check in on this story with great interest.

 

 

A surprisingly candid reason for Wilding’s cancellation at fandomfest was given on their website (via reddit):

 

Spencer Wilding will be unable to attend as he will be filming the newest film in the Star Wars Universe.  Spencer will be coming back next year.

 

The only Star Wars movie currently filming is Han Solo, so this is no cryptic message, Spencer Wilding is involved with the Han Solo movie. Now before you fans jump out of your seats and you rebels go running down hallways, we are hearing that he is not being brought in to play Darth Vader. We should remind you that Wilding has performed multiple creature parts under the Disney umbrella before (for example the “Mean Guard” in Guardians of the Galaxy). It is very possible due to his performance in Rogue One, he was offered a role in the Han Solo film as well.

 

Wilding in Guardians of the Galaxy

 

Now at face value many may think, why would they specifically bring Wilding in if it is not for Darth Vader? If you flip the thinking on that, being that Wilding is not a hugely sought out actor, why wouldn’t he accept a role in the Han Solo movie regardless of what it was? Yes there will be a large imperial presence in the film, as we have seen in earlier sets, but the galaxy is vast and just because the Empire will be involved, does not mean Darth Vader needs to, or will be.

 

An imperial transport of some kind on the Han Solo set

 

While we are hearing Wilding is not being brought in to play Vader, that does not rule out Vader appearing in the film. It is possible they could have someone else play him if they are including him in the movie.
Lucasfilm loves to establish actor continuity with their Star Wars roles as much as possible, evident with Kenny Baker (The Force Awakens) and Peter Mayhew (The Last Jedi) receiving credits as “consultants” although having little to no involvement in those films. We would think Lucasfilm would prefer to have one actor takeover the physical role of Vader going forward as David Prowse once did. Yes another actor portrayed Vader in scenes in Rogue One, including the now iconic final scene, filmed later when Wilding was unavailable.

 

Spencer Wilding as Darth Vader in Rogue One

 

There are plenty of movies to be made, so if he isn’t in Han Solo, we likely haven’t seen the last of Darth Vader on screen in a Star Wars movie. In addition to future stand-alone films that fall under his timeline, there is always the chance he appears in movies post-Return of the Jedi, now that Lucasfilm is on board with using flashbacks.

 

You can find me Force choking people on Twitter @JohnnyHoey and we will definitely be discussing this on the next episode of the Resistance Broadcast so hit us up @RBatSWNN to talk about it and possibly get a shout out on the show!

 

“For my all is the Force, and a powerful ally it is.”

 

 

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John Hoey is the Lead Editor and Senior Writer for Star Wars News Net and the host of The Resistance Broadcast podcast

"For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is."

John Hoey

John Hoey is the Lead Editor and Senior Writer for Star Wars News Net and the host of The Resistance Broadcast podcast"For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is."

61 thoughts on “Spencer Wilding Added to the Cast of Han Solo but Likely Not as Darth Vader

  • July 25, 2017 at 8:41 pm
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    No..no more Vader unless I see a Jedi purge movie starring him and the emperor.

    • July 25, 2017 at 9:54 pm
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      Purge or GTFO.

      • July 25, 2017 at 9:57 pm
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        Yessssss

    • July 25, 2017 at 9:58 pm
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      How about old Ben Kenobi standalone, during the Jedi purge, featuring Vader? That would be a real fan-fest

      • July 25, 2017 at 10:40 pm
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        Nah that’s too good to be true. lol

      • July 26, 2017 at 3:37 pm
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        ……

    • July 26, 2017 at 5:31 am
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      ROTS

    • July 26, 2017 at 6:37 pm
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      Not sure that Disney would allow a film that dark …but I would love to see it.

  • July 25, 2017 at 8:54 pm
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    I don’t think Vader is going to be in this movie but it does begin to show the bigger picture that Disney isn’t ready to dabble in any areas that doesn’t include characters that general movie going audiences are familiar with. I am fine with this. due to having little interest in a KOTOR or anything that is so far away from the Star Wars I have come to know.

    • July 25, 2017 at 10:55 pm
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      Yep I remember this story that all his scenes were cut

  • July 26, 2017 at 12:31 am
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    Vader is going to make a cameo in every Star Wars Anthology film.

    • July 26, 2017 at 3:54 pm
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      I’d love to see Vader doing out-of-character/Easter-eggy activities in the background of every movie. Like piloting a rickshaw through a bustling space market… sipping tea through his helmet in a distant booth at Jetster’s Diner while reading the morning paper… or maybe even as a tour guide leading a group of younglings through the Jedi Library Museum of Yesteryear.

    • July 26, 2017 at 7:11 pm
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      Vader as Lucasfilm’s answer to Stan Lee!

  • July 26, 2017 at 12:54 am
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    I wonder if he’s stepping in for another actor to reshoot scenes or if they’re adding a character in rewrites. Will we ever know? Probably.

  • July 26, 2017 at 1:01 am
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    Just a Request… “Now This Is Podracing”, “The Princess Leia Diaries”, “Porkins – An Underdog Tale”, “The Good, The Bad, And The Gungan”.

    Secretly though I’d love for them to bring back the Legends version of Dr. Evanzan (guy who has the death sentence on a couple of systems). When I was in middle school I discovered the Star Wars Galaxy of Fear books and they blew my mind. It was a series of two kids who were survivors of Alderaan (i think the girl was force sensitive), and their uncle who was a shape shifting Shi’ido if I’m correct and each book was them stumbling upon various aspects of the Empire’s secret Project titled Starscream which was about creating Super Soldiers. It introduced you to new worlds, creatures, aspects of the SW galaxy, as well as on occasion we’d run into Luke, Leia, Han, Vader, Boba Fett etc. THOSE would make some cool standalone films.

    http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Galaxy_of_Fear

  • July 26, 2017 at 1:58 am
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    I would LOVE to see Darth Vader in HAN SOLO film !

    • July 26, 2017 at 4:19 am
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      Oooooooh! And maybe they could end up at Mos Eisley spaceport and run into little Luke! And maybe next door, Leia is there with the droids on a mission to meet Sabine from Rebels. And maybe a middle aged Obi-Wan can be seen buying groceries!

      • July 26, 2017 at 5:29 am
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        Don’t give lucasfilm any ideas…

      • July 26, 2017 at 5:32 am
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        You can disagree without being a dick, you know.

        • July 26, 2017 at 11:25 am
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          You’re absolutely right. It was overkill and completely unnecessary.
          I do apologize.

        • July 26, 2017 at 10:18 pm
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          ‘Twas a joke.

          • July 27, 2017 at 2:49 am
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            You can tell a joke without being a dick, you know.

          • July 27, 2017 at 6:00 am
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            He wasn’t being a dick. Because it was a joke. Regardless, it’s not as if it wasn’t totally deserved considering the kind of comments that Kent leaves on the regular.

      • July 26, 2017 at 9:30 am
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        LOVE every idea there listed, keep it coming !

    • July 26, 2017 at 3:36 pm
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      fan service. Bah.

    • July 26, 2017 at 7:10 pm
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      I’d love to see Darth Vader in a Darth Vader film!
      But I would also moan about no one wanting a Darth Vader film so as to look cool.

  • July 26, 2017 at 8:51 am
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    Calling it now: they will decide to add a silent Darth Vader on board the star destroyer when Han gets boarded by imperials causing his debt to Jabba. Hope I’m wrong and he is just playing some tall alien as reports seem to indicate, but it just sounds like something they would add in.

    • July 26, 2017 at 10:49 am
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      That would be AMAZING. BREATHTAKING for the audience.

      • July 26, 2017 at 3:36 pm
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        Ugh

    • July 26, 2017 at 11:02 am
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      (Commander): “He’s just a 2-bit back world smuggler, My Lord. All he was carrying was a shipment of Kessel Spice.” (Vader): “Very good, Commander….. I love the flavor of Kessel Spice. Offload it at once, and let the smuggler scum go on his way…”

    • July 26, 2017 at 8:51 pm
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      I would be happy with a hologram. I imagine Vader would have several things on the go at once demanding his attention, but having the main Imperial report back to Vader would be cool.

    • July 26, 2017 at 10:18 pm
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      Just like the young Han Solo cameo in R1 sounded like something they would add in.

      Lucasfilm isn’t that stupid.

  • July 26, 2017 at 8:54 am
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    That’d be really cool. I’d even take a straight adaptation of the comic or lords of the sith. Vader in his prime is quite a sight to behold

  • July 26, 2017 at 9:48 am
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    Hi marks to the Director of Rogue One, but he blew it big time on Darth Vader and the way he walked. At the end of Rogue One when Vader says “Prepare a boarding party” he then turns and softly glides away… Lol.. I couldn’t believe it, The real Vader (David Prowse) would never walk that way! Darth Vader walks with authority, Heavy Feet and he doesn’t waste time getting to where he is going.

    • July 26, 2017 at 10:51 am
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      The problems I had (still have) with Vader in Rogue One have to do with Vader’s helmet, and James Earl Jones voice, which is sounding a bit elderly these days. They should have run it through some filters to make it sound closer to the AHN Vader.

      • July 27, 2017 at 5:33 am
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        I thought his voice was good, I didn’t get the elderly feeling. I agree on the helmet. The made a half effort to get the Red eye’s correct but that’s it. Vader does not wear that helmet in the time line. For as detailed as they were in other aspects of the film they basically skipped the “a New Hope” Vader and went straight to Empire Strikes Back costume which was modified to make Vader look more intimidating. In Rouge One Vaders costume should have looked more worn, matte on the helmet, NOT shiny and buffed. The chest plate was from Empire not A New Hope. Vaders Amour, the shoulders should have been rounded, not squared off… The problem here is the executives probably say, we want it this way to sell tickets. Fans like TURD below don’t understand the details below the surface that played such a huge role in “Star Wars” and “Empire Strikes Back” which shaped the franchise more than any other film. The execs didn’t give a shit, they wanted Vader killing Rebels at the end of the movie like a video game and while it was kind of fun to see it was absurdly idiotic because Vader does not do those thing at the Start of “A New Hope” when the Catch Leia’s blockade runner ship.

        • July 27, 2017 at 3:11 pm
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          Did you ever think that maybe Vader has more than one helmet? Because that would immediately invalidate all of your whining, just saying. Also, name-calling is reductive.

          • July 27, 2017 at 8:32 pm
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            Yes, absolutely but it’s a terrible excuse… that’s like saying it was always planned out that Luke would make out with his sister… Seeing it that way is a stretch, it just does not fit. George Lucas in the 80’s never would have had Vader wearing the Return of the Jedi shiny Vader, he would have introduced an earlier NEWER Version of the Metal Mask in “A New Hope”. George got desperate because fans where ripping on him from selling out. People got sick and tired of his lies. I use to admire the man, wanted to meet him so bad…. Why can’t he just own what he says?? Lot of this has to do with him firing all the great people that made Star Wars in IV and V. Return of the Jedi where he had total control was when things started going down hill. Leia as Lukes sister?
            omg… give me a break… And Vader was never going to be Lukes father when Another hope was made but he promotes it that way.

      • July 27, 2017 at 11:37 am
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        Yes, there was something … hoarse … about Vader’s voice in RO. As you say, they should have processed it just a little.

        In fact, there are quite a few people who can do excellent Vader voices, some possibly sounding more like the classical Vader than James Earl Jones himself can achieve these days.

    • July 26, 2017 at 10:17 pm
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      This is what the Star Wars fandom ha come to. This is what we complain about now.

      • July 27, 2017 at 5:53 am
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        Let me guess, you love the prequels? Three of the worst films in movie history by one of the great film makers of all time who sold himself out. Thank God Lucas didn’t have total power on Empire Strikes Back otherwise he would have destroyed that Movie.

        • July 27, 2017 at 5:58 am
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          No, you’re completely wrong. Maybe you shouldn’t make assumptions just because I dared to disagree with you. Complaining about Vader turning around too fast is a perfect example of the meaningless nitpicks that many members of the Star Wars fandom seem so keen on expressing for some reason.

          • July 27, 2017 at 11:56 am
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            Nobody said anything about Vader turning around too fast. You don’t like the complaining and yet you complain. Great Stories and films are well thought out and painstakingly put together. The more things that fit and are believable within the world in which they are being told bring more life to the film.

  • July 26, 2017 at 10:51 am
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    Hope they don’t use Vader, I think its definitely over kill and also treating the audience as if they are idiots, needing to have constant references to the other films. Think I must be one of the only people that didn’t actually enjoy Vader at the end of Rogue One, I don’t think it was needed at all and as much as I enjoyed seeing what he did I just felt it seemed out of keeping with the movie, and with the Vader from he original trilogy.

    • July 26, 2017 at 12:59 pm
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      treating as idiots. … well aren’t yoy the very special person with an autonomous mind. i almost am ashamed that I am the unoriginal starwarsfreak that loves vader in that scene because it was FUN and tied it to a new hope.

      • July 26, 2017 at 1:32 pm
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        It doesn’t tie in completely though as the beginning of new hope its mentioned that the plans were beamed onto the ship. They put that in purely for fanboys. And like I mentioned I enjoyed the scene as a separate entity I just didn’t think it was needed in the movie, it just seemed a little out of place to me. I do state that ‘m probably the only person that doesn’t think it was needed. But like you mention it was fun.
        I just hope they don’t feel the need to put loads of characters into the Solo movie just to tie it in. Honda Baba wasn’t needed in Rogue one either.

        • July 26, 2017 at 1:58 pm
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          “Needed” is such a bizarre concept, when talking about movies. What is “needed”, exactly? Because —
          one could say — all you “need” in a movie is to do the business of the plot and advance it… and, technically, it’s true. But this comes from a conception that sees movies just as mere storytelling devices – movies (and filmmaking) are so much more.
          Film is a visual media and one that leverages emotions and feelings way more than it does logic and rationality. A great looking scene’s existance it’s justified by just how good that scene looks, how much it works in conveying emotions.
          The exact same thing goes for “fanservice”: no, Honda Baba (or Ponda Bubu or Kunda Poopoo or whatever that guy’s crazy name is) wasn’t “needed” in RO. But it’s a small thing that is there, it’s harmless, and is a nice little homage/reference.
          Not everything needs to be necessary – thankfully 🙂

        • July 26, 2017 at 3:02 pm
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          I agree with what you say and I also did not like the Vader scene, because I found Vader clearly overpowered in comparison to everyone else, we saw in live action movies, even Vader himself.

          On the other hand, this scene is obviously the one receiving the most positive feedback from the movie. So in terms of acceptance of the movie on the fan base, it was indeed needed 🙂

          • July 26, 2017 at 3:33 pm
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            It connects him to the powerful and revered Jedi, Anakin Skywalker, quite well. Also, how the hell else would whiny Luke be so powerful right out of the gate (like Rey)?

          • July 26, 2017 at 3:55 pm
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            Yes, it might connect him to the powerful Anakin, but letting people float at the roof is something we saw in the Clone Wars Series and not in the movies, neither the Prequels or the OT.

            I’m not sure if I understand what you mean by ‘Luke being so powerful right out of the gate’. He was taught a few things by Ben, practiced on his own between IV and V, was taught by Yoda in V, tested by Vader in V and practiced between V and VI. And even with this teaching and practicing he is not very powerful, but rather has a strong will. And all this preparation is not what I would call ‘out of the gate’; so could you please specify more, what you meant by this term?

        • July 26, 2017 at 3:35 pm
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          Those plans were beamed to the ship.

          • July 26, 2017 at 4:15 pm
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            The plans were beamed to the Profundity, not to Leia’s ship (as Vader indicates in ANH).

            If the plans had been beamed to Leia’s ship, there would’ve been no reason for it to await the delivery of the hardcopy.

        • July 27, 2017 at 5:11 am
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          Vader pays the bills. The film would not have been NEAR the success it was without his “water cooler” moment at the end. EVERYONE talked about “DAT VADER SCENE” the next day — no one went to work say “Gawd damn, that Krennic was awesome, made the movie” LOL

          • July 27, 2017 at 5:59 am
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            “The film would not have been NEAR the success it was without his “water cooler” moment at the end.”

            Except for the fact that it wasn’t anywhere in the advertising and most people wouldn’t have spoiled it for their friends, so it’s very unlikely that it contributed to the film’s box office gross.

        • July 27, 2017 at 3:23 pm
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          i like it that starwars is about the kicks and pleasures like vader and other cameo’s and eastereggs. its… starwarsy..without it it would feel strange. Vader ib Rogue one is cool.

      • July 27, 2017 at 7:19 am
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        It doesn’t tie in at all, why doesn’t Vader just Force Choke everyone in A New Hope?

        • July 27, 2017 at 3:20 pm
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          i agree, i meant vader in persuit of the plans. The execution is not 100 procent satisfying. but i understand that. he force choked a guy on the deathstar though. rian used the fully developed charactar so he could go for more kick then being truthfull to the development.. and i think that is a good choice.

  • July 26, 2017 at 3:36 pm
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    Yeah, that was in ROTS. The Purge took place in 5 min. George wasted it.

    • July 26, 2017 at 6:29 pm
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      Yea but Vader was still hunting down Jedi post ROTS as well, that might have been his primary objective actually, so having a film with Vader dealing with the hardships he just experienced in III, AND adapting to his new suit will be something we haven’t seen on film before.

  • July 26, 2017 at 10:39 pm
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    Who the hell knows what they will try and do with the Solo film….but, they mention “in the next SW film,” does that mean TLJ?

    Vader in TLJ would make sense, as either something Snoke makes Ren see in visions or Ren can actually see the dark lord in some way, as eluded to in TFA.

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