Star Wars Episode 7: Rumoured Cast

Jesse Plemons
Better known to Breaking Bad fans as polite sociopath Todd (or Meth Damon, in some circles), Plemons was recently rumoured to be in talks for a major role in Episode VII. Abrams hasn't commented on most of the casting rumours, but in the case of Plemons he made an exception, confirming that he had met with the actor. And while there's no indication of what role Plemons may have read for, there's a definite touch of the Mark Hamill about him…

Benedict Cumberbatch
Mere months after Cumberbatch made waves as Star Trek Into Darkness's rebooted Khan, a report surfaced that he was in line for a similarly dastardly role in Abrams' new Star Wars. The notion of the two franchises sharing a major villain seems wrong, but there's already so much crossing of the streams going on that it's not remotely inconceivable, and Cumberbatch himself has been very coy about the rumours, confirming only that "no offer had been made" as of last autumn.

Rachel Hurd-Wood
Perhaps the most obscure name in the running, Hurd-Wood is best known for her role in 2009's Dorian Gray. As of last August, it was reported that she was the only actress to have auditioned for the role of Leia and Han's daughter, and her resemblance to a young Carrie Fisher is undeniably striking.

Chloe Grace Moretz
This is about as vague as rumours get. Back when Matthew Vaughn's name was in the mix to direct Episode VII, it was suggested that he had pitched a version in which Moretz would star as a young Jedi. It's not clear whether she's still in the running under Abrams, and when asked last year Moretz only confirmed that she would "kill to be a part of the franchise".

Adam Driver
Girls star Driver has been linked to such a slew of big-name projects of late that it's hard to keep up, but his name has been in the mix for Episode VII for months and some sources have recently suggested that a role has been offered if he can make the scheduling work. Lena Dunham's HBO comedy could make his involvement difficult, but the show's production window is limited enough not to rule him out.

Hugo Weaving
According to a recent trade story, Weaving might be getting his villain on again – he's apparently in consideration for the role of an Imperial Navy commander, which concerns us only in the sense that his magnificent forehead may be obscured by the hat.

Simon Pegg
There hasn't been much in the way of actual rumours about Pegg's casting, but given his franchise track record with Abrams (who cast him both in Mission: Impossible 3 and in his rebooted Star Trek) and his well-established Star Wars fandom, his omission would be a bigger surprise than his inclusion at this point.