Mads Mikkelsen has accidentally revealed his Star Wars: Rogue One character
But does this mean he's the man who built the Death Star?
They say the definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, so it’s sometimes hard to see why journalists bother trying to get Star Wars spoilers out of the actors. Trained and drilled with media techniques that an emperor would baulk at, these stars are impregnable fortresses of knowledge who’ll barely admit that they’re in the films, let alone let slip any pertinent details.
Until today. Because it turns out the definion of Mads-ness is doing the same thing over and over again but to someone with English as a second language, and actually getting different results.
Yes, that’s right – Danish Hannibal star Mads Mikkelsen has revealed a crucial detail about his character from upcoming Star Wars spin-off Rogue One, after the actor failed to appear in the first trailer a few weeks ago and got fans’ minds racing.
And while we still don’t know if he’s hero or villain, it turns out that in classic Star Wars style Rogue One is a family affair.
"I read the script and it was very beautiful, and Felicity is playing this lovely, strong woman and I play her father," Mikkelsen told Sky News.
Presumably realizing his mistake, he quickly added: “And that was too much. I'm sorry."
Now, this news isn’t on the surface all that momentous. You might think, “why should it matter that he plays the father of Felicity Jones’ Jyn, possibly offering moral support and laundry services to his daughter as she takes down the Empire?”
But considering some fan theories that have been swirling about Rogue One from the start, it might be that their relationship is far more sinister than it first appears. Jyn has long been rumoured to be the runaway daughter of the Death Star’s architect, possessing detailed knowledge of her father’s work that makes her the perfect candidate to steal the space station’s plans.
After all, why else would the Rebel leadership entrust such an important mission to some random woman who they clearly disapprove of (as seen in the trailer)? Surely she must have SOME special insight or connection to the Death Star or they wouldn’t have sent her, and the casting of multiple screen villain Mikkelsen as her dear old dad would definitely support this idea.
Then again there are also rumours that Mikkelsen is playing a younger version of The Force Awakens’ Lor San Tekka, the old adventurer played by Swedish actor Max von Sydow (below), so we could be completely off Rebel Base with this one, and Jyn will instead spend the entire film trying to live up to her legendary dad’s Scandi-heroics.
And if SEPARATE rumours that Jyn is supposed to be Rey’s mother are true, it could explain why Tekka stuck around on Jakku all those years, keeping a distant eye on his granddaughter for her entire life.
Though of course it’s possible none of this is true, he wasn’t in the Force Awakens and he’s not even really Jyn’s dad. We don’t trust anything after the Daniel Craig stormtrooper fiasco last year.
So basically we still don’t know the truth about anything, but the whole experience wasn’t a complete waste. Mads Mikkelsen has DEFINITELY picked up something about the polite denial, based on his answer when asked if he could reveal whether Darth Vader will actually be turning up in Rogue One this December.
"Yes I can,” he said –“but I won't."
You have learned much, young Mikkelsen - but you are not a Jedi (or Sith, or secret Death Star architect) yet.
Rogue One: A Star Wars story will be released on the 16th December
Authors
Huw Fullerton is a Commissioning Editor for Radio Times magazine, covering Entertainment, Comedy and Specialist Drama.
