Doctor Who actor Matt Smith has reportedly been cast in a key role in the next Star Wars film, Star Wars: Episode IX. Details of his role, and whether Smith will be on the side of the rebels or the evil empire in the narrative, are not yet known.

The actor will join returning cast members John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Lupita Nyong’o, Adam Driver, and Mark Hamill. Billy Dee Williams will reprise the role of Lando Calrissian, while footage of the late Carrie Fisher, unused in The Force Awakens, will be repurposed to revive the role of Princess Leia. Mark Hamill will be returning as Luke Skywalker and Anthony Daniels will reprise his role as C-3PO in the upcoming film. 

Directed by JJ Abrams, the film which is currently in production in the UK, will complete the sequel trilogy, after The Force Awakens (2015) and The Last Jedi (2017).