Barry Keoghan really wants a part in Taika Waititi's Star Wars movie. After two brooding installments in Marvel's Thor series were met with mixed reception, the New Zealand filmmaker came along and revitalized the sub-franchise with his own signature irreverent style. Waititi was then brought back to write and direct Thor: Love and Thunder, which was not as critically acclaimed as Ragnarok. Waititi is also an accomplished filmmaker outside the Marvel Cinematic Universe, winning an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2020 for Jojo Rabbit.
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Waititi made his Star Wars debut as a director and voice actor on The Mandalorian season 1. Afterward, he was tapped by Lucasfilm to direct a Star Wars movie that he would co-write with 1917's Krysty Wilson-Cairns. With Patty Jenkins' Rogue Squadron removed from the Lucasfilm release schedule, Waititi's untitled Star Wars movie is next in the pipeline of upcoming theatrical projects. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy stated earlier this year that Waititi's movie is planned for a late 2023 release, but no concrete date has been set, and few updates have emerged.
While no plot details or other information has been confirmed about Waititi's Star Wars movie, an early casting possibility has emerged. A recent profile from GQ reveals that Keoghan is "hellbent on securing a part in Taika Waititi’s Star Wars movie." The Batman and Eternals star is even actively trying to get in touch with Waititi about a potential part. "I’m tryna meet him, I’ve been askin’ everyone,” Keoghan says.
Who Barry Keoghan Could Play In Star Wars
Though he only appears briefly in The Batman during the film's final moments, credited as "Unseen Arkham Prisoner," a deleted scene revealed more of Keoghan's incredible take on the Joker. Last year, the Irish actor starred in Eternals as one of the titular superheroes, Druig. His role in the Marvel movie does slightly increase his chances of making the jump to Star Wars. Since the MCU and Star Wars both fall under the Disney umbrella, many actors have moved between franchises in recent years, with Moon Knight's Oscar Isaac being one prominent example. Waititi's connection to both properties further bodes well for Keoghan's prospects.
Waititi’s Star Wars movie will focus on a completely new story and characters in a galaxy far, far away. Therefore, it is incredibly difficult to speculate about who Keoghan could possibly play, though his incredible range would allow him to portray both a hero or a villain in Star Wars. Keoghan played a menacing villain in The Batman and an aloof superhero in Eternals. That's on top of his previous performances as an unlikely war hero in Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk and an unsettling teenager in The Killing of a Sacred Deer. Keoghan has been a promising up-and-coming talent for years now, so it would be wise for Waititi to field his calls and cast him in his Star Wars movie while he still can.