Speculations that Darth Vader will appear in "Star Wars: Rogue One" have been confirmed. The Sith Lord will be portrayed by an 85-year-old actor.
The film's plot will take place before the events of the 1977 original Star Wars. It is a stand-alone movie that focuses on the Rebel warriors' movement that will attempt to stage a heist of the first Death Star. Ever since Lucasfilm released the plot, Star Wars fans were already expecting to see Darth Vader on screen again.
It was just recently that Lucasfilm announced who will be playing Vader's role. For this particular movie, James Earl Jones, 85, will continue his role as Darth Vader's iconic voice. David Prowse, 80, was usually inside Vader's suit in the original trilogy. However, Rogue One will be having a variety of large-framed actors to play Vader under the mask, Entertainment Weekly said.
James Earl Jones recently performed as Vader's voice on some episodes of Disney's "Star Wars: Rebels" animated series. A lot of actors attempted and imitated Vader's voice throughout the years. These imitation voices were often used for cartoons, products or toys. However, for an onscreen appearance, there can be no substitute for Vader's original voice.
However, fans still pose a question on how much Vader will they expect to see in the Rogue One movie. It is said that it would only be a little bit. Producers say that they need to make careful use of the character. He will be used sparingly. However, in an important point in the movie, Vader's character will play a big role.
Given that Rogue One is set in different period of time as compared to the original Star Wars, Vader's reputation was said to be different. Here, he is apparently less fearsome. He plays as the Emperor's enforcer. He is a legend amongst the ranks as well. However, the Rebels do not even know who he is, IGN reported.
The main antagonist for Rogue One is Krennic. The two antagonists are reported to have a conflict, in terms of differences in their statuses within the Empire. Krennic has a lust for power and wants to move up the ladder of ranks so that the Emperor will favour him. On the other hand, Vader does not follow rules. According to Lucasfilm, Vader is part of the military structure but is not bound to it. He is accountable only to Palpatine.
"Star Wars: Rogue One" will hit cinemas on December 16, 2016.