One of the big questions spawned by the recent Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser involves the identity of the mysterious, gravelly voiced narrator of the preview. Speculation ranged from various veterans of the franchise to Benedict Cumberbatch, but the mystery was solved this week with confirmation that the voice heard over the brief series of clips was none other than The Lord of the Rings and Planet of the Apes franchise actor Andy Serkis.
So now the questions becomes: Who is he playing in The Force Awakens?
Serkis’ role as the teaser’s narrator was confirmed on an episode of ABC’s Good Morning America and then reconfirmed on Absolute Radio (via Empire), with Serkis himself weighing in on the rumors during the latter program. The veteran motion-capture actor was one of several people rumored to be the narrator, with many citing the similarities between the voice in The Force Awakens teaser and that of Caesar, the ape he played in Rise of the Planet of the Apes and its recent sequel, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.
Naturally, speculation has quickly turned to the identity of Serkis’ character in The Force Awakens, and a new rumor suggests that he might have not one, but multiple roles in the film.
According to Jedi News, Serkis will be playing a mo-cap role among “a group of unbelievably athletic and acrobatic motion capture characters” that also includes parkour expert Pip Anderson, and also be playing an on-screen role that has him interacting with Daisy Ridley’s character in the film. The site reports that it will be a “pivotal role in the first act story arc that entwines with Daisy Ridley’s backstory” and that the role “may have more to it than it seems in the first instance.”
Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theaters December 18, 2015.
