When Star Wars – The Force Awakens opened last Christmas, not only was it immediately embraced by critics and audiences alike as a thrilling galactic adventure, it was drenched in sweet nostalgia by the presence of beloved actors Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill reprising their roles from George Lucas’ original classic trilogy. However, the trifecta wasn’t the only big return the film offered as famed character actor Warwick Davis also lent a hand to the film, appearing rather briefly in a blink and you’ll miss it cameo during the film’s cantina scene as scavenger Wollivan.
Davis originally joined the franchise when he was only 11 years old, playing the role of Wicket the Ewok in Return of the Jedi. The role was originally meant for the late Kenny Baker, better known to all as R2-D2, but Baker became ill during shooting and Davis was promoted from background extra to leading Ewok. He went on to reprise the role in two Ewok made-for-TV spin-off features as well as offer his talents to countless other big franchises with roles in Leprechaun, Harry Potter, and even George Lucas’ own The Phantom Menace.
And he’s not done yet. Davis recently sat down with Jedi News and though his lips most remained sealed, he confirmed his involvement in director Rian Johnson’s upcoming sequel whilst showering director J.J. Abrams with praise for his work on The Force Awakens.
“There were some wonderful moments, some moving moments and it was full of all the action that we expect, so for me it ticked all the boxes, I loved it. And I think it sets up the trilogy very well. Obviously we’re moving into the territory of Episode VIII very soon as well, and much like Empire Strikes Back I’m sure it’s going to deliver some quite impactful story moments, and it’ll leave us with some cliffhangers as well which resolve in Episode IX.”
Obviously Davis’ role is unknown at this point but there’s some fan speculation around the possibility of Wicket’s return to the franchise as Ewoks are confirmed to have a life span more than the 30 years that have passed since Return of the Jedi though something along the lines of a Wollivan reappearance seems more likely. We’ll all still have to wait a little over a year to find out when Episode VIII opens on December 15, 2017.
Sources: Jedi News(via Screen Rant)