Gwendoline Christie's 'Star Wars' Character Name Revealed?

Beware of spoilers, naturally. Last week Lucasfilm did something really cool by revealing the names of every character in the Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser by way of "trading card" images. That's how we learned John Boyega's character is named Finn, Oscar Isaac is Poe Dameron, Daisy Ridley is Rey, and the hooded Sith is Kylo Ren, which actually sounds like a Jedi name. But there are a number of other characters we have yet to see much less know the names of, and one of those may have been revealed.

According to Stitch Kingdom, Lucasfilm have registered a trademark for "Captain Phasma" along with the names of the characters seen in the teaser. Who the heck is Captain Phasma? Nobody, actually; the character doesn't exist in Star Wars lore except in a random fan-fic called "Tarkin's Fist".  Is there any reason to believe in a connection between the movie and the fan-fic's author? Not at this point.

The popular theory going around is that Captain Phasma could be the character played by Gwendoline Christie, who is expected to be an Imperial officer in pursuit of Finn, who happens to be an AWOL stormtrooper. Christie's character would also have "ties to the Force" which is an odd description. What does that mean exactly? Does that mean she's like Jabba the Hutt and Force powers don't work on her?

So consider this all a rumor for now. Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens December 18th 2015.

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Possible Details on Gwendoline Christie and Adam Driver's 'Star Wars: Episode VII' Roles

A lot of sites are making their name passing along supposed Star Wars: Episode VII news, and one of those sites is Making Star Wars. They had the recent rumor about a possible Obi-Wan Kenobi spinoff, but along with that story were a few nuggets about the movie's villains and their ties to a past enemy from the Star Wars prequels. Some may consider this a spoiler so just be warned!

According to the site's sources, Episode VII's villains will be an "aristocratic family line" of bad guys, with the theory being they are related to Count Dooku. Dooku was played by Christopher Lee in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The character was also the central bad guy in the Clone Wars animated series. He was once a Jedi but turned to the Dark Side under the name Darth Tyranus.

Apparently, the characters played by Gwendoline Christie, Adam Driver, and Benedict Cumberbatch (when he was rumored for the film) are all connected to this Dooku bloodline. In particular it's Christie's character who will now have the connection to Dooku that Cumberbatch's was intended to.  There have been some set photos of Christie dressed like a common member of the rebellion, but that doesn't mean much. Her character could be hiding in plain sight just as Dooku did. Driver has always been expected to play a bad guy so connecting him to this isn't much of a surprise.

With so many sites claiming to have their own inside sources at Lucasfilm either some of them are making stuff up or J.J. Abrams has lost total control of his vaunted "mystery box".

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Lupita Nyong'o and Gwendoline Christie Officially Join 'Star Wars: Episode VII'

Long before the official Star Wars: Episode VII casting came down, Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong'o was rumored for a role. So it was a little surprising when she wasn't part of the first wave of announcements, even though she never seemed to be completely out of the mix. Now it looks like the ink is dry on her deal because LucasFilm has revealed she is now part of the cast, along with Game of Thrones star, Gwendoline Christie.


Previous speculation had Nyong'o possibly playing the mixed-race daughter of Obi-Wan Kenobi but it remains to be seen what she'll actually be up to. Christie plays Brienne of Tarth on the hit HBO series, and this marks her second big screen franchise this year as she recently came aboard The Hunger Games: Mockingjay. Considering how awesome and imposing she is wielding a sword on Game of Thrones I'll be pissed if she doesn't get at least one lightsaber duel.

Star Wars: Episode VII is filming now for release December 18th 2015.

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'Game of Thrones' Star Gwendoline Christie Replaces Lily Rabe in 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay'

Where's Roxana Hadadi when we need her? As our resident Game of Thrones and The Hunger Games expert, it should be on her shoulders to comment on news that concerns them both. But it's left up to me, and fortunately it involves Gwendoline Christie, my favorite cast member on HBO's hit series, which is returning to the airwaves tomorrow night.

Deadline reports that Christie, who plays the loyal and powerful Brienne of Tarth on Game of Thrones, has joined The Hunger Games: Mockingjay in the role of Commander Lyme. She's replacing Lily Rabe who was forced to back out due to scheduling conflicts, and I agree with Roxana that she never seemed right for the part. Lyme is a former winner Hunger Games victor and a member of the resistance against the Capitol. The character will only appear in the second half of the two-part finale.

So this is a definite step up in my book. Christie can hang out on set with fellow 'Thrones' star Natalie Dormer, who plays Cressida. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1 opens November 21st 2014. Part 2 arrives November 20th 2015. 

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