One of the recent biggest announcements from the world of Star Wars was that Damon Lindelof is working on a new movie. A movie set after the events of the Skywalker Saga. This would make Lindelof’s movie the first sequel, to the timeline of Star Wars content we have out now. Every single Star Wars show on TV is a prequel, given it takes place before the events of the sequel trilogy. Andor, The Mandalorian, and The Bad Batch— are all prequels. So Lindelof’s movie is kind of a big deal for that reason alone. But now there’s a new rumour about how Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in Star Wars could be a thing. If so, it’s another reason to look forward to Lindelof’s movie.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II In Star Wars Would Be Amazing
Image via HBO.
The rumour or speculation comes from an episode of The Hot Mic on YouTube and its podcast feed. Hosted by film journalist and critic John Rocha and Jeff Sneider, the show has had many exclusive scoops in the past and news not covered anywhere else. As part of this, months ago, Sneider did tease that the Damon Lindelof movie would have potentially two leads, but one would be a Black male actor.
Sneider also mentioned that the actor in question is someone who’s been in multiple film and TV projects, but has never led a movie of his own. When speaking in connection to Lindelof, and his recent appearance in the HBO Watchman series, Yahya Abdul Mateen II in Star Wars was a natural conclusion. But on a more recent episode, Sneider seemingly confirmed that that’s who he was referencing before. And that according to his sources, Mateen II comes attached to the project with Lindelof.
No Official Announcement Made On Lindelof’s Star Wars Movie
Image via Disney+.
As of right now, there have been no official announcements made on Lindelof’s movie or its plans. We know it’s a sequel to the current Star Wars canon, taking place after the events of Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker. So it will be the first Star Wars movie that takes the story forward, instead of telling stories set in the past. And given that, it’s interesting to see who else might show up and maybe join Yahya Abdul Mateen II in Star Wars.
We do know that Daisy Ridley, who played Rey in the sequel trilogy did mention that she is open to returning as the character in Lindelof’s movie. The bigger question may be if the other co-leads of the sequel trilogy, John Boyega’s Finn or Oscar Isaac’s Poe, will return as well. Given how vocal Boyega has been about the racist treatment he’s suffered during his involvement in the franchise, it seems unlikely. Especially seeing how Boyega mentioned that he received little to no support during it all from LucasFilm or Disney.
Star Wars Fans’ History Of Racist Treatment Of Its Stars
Image via Disney+.
And speaking of it, even Yahya Abdul Mateen II in Star Wars must be aware of these issues Boyega faced. Not just Boyega, but even Kelly Marie Tran was subject to a lot of online abuse by a minority of toxic and racist Star Wars fans. More recently, even Moses Ingram’s portrayal of the Third Sister, Reva in the Disney+ Obi-Wan Kenobi series suffered similar racist abuse.
So I can’t help but wonder how much of Lindelof’s story will factor these issues within the Star Wars universe itself. And that Yahya Abdul Mateen II in Star Wars may actually be intentional, almost as if in defiance of those trolls and toxic fans. For me, this rumour of Mateen’s casting actually makes me more excited for Damon Linelof’s new movie.
Are you excited about Yahya Abdul Mateen II potentially being in a new Star Wars movie? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
