While fans anxiously await the return ofDarth Vader, who hasn’t been seen on the big screen since 2005’sRevenge of the Sith, the firstStar Warsspinoff is also reportedly bringing back another, smaller character who has a strong legion of fans. Yes, one of the most disgruntled bar patrons of all time is said to be making his big comeback inRogue One: A Star Wars Story. And anyone who holds an affinity for the iconic Cantina scene inA New Hopeshould be happy to see this guy back in action.
Star Wars Postbrings this news, which boldly states that the pug-ugly Dr. Cornelius Evazan is set to make his triumphant return to cinemas this December. The actor playing the character has not been revealed, though he was played by Alfie Curtis inA New Hope. Curtis, who is 86 years old, hasn’t acted since 1986. Here is the officialcharacter descriptionfor Dr. Cornelius Evazan from StarWars.com.
“A grubby, scarred smuggler from Alsakan, Cornelius Evazan was once a promising surgeon, but became notorious for conducting cruel medical experiments. Dr. Evazan tried to bully Luke Skywalker in the Mos Eisley cantina, boasting that he faced a death sentence in 12 systems. The doctor and his pal Ponda Baba assumed the young farmboy would be an easy target, and paid little heed to the old man in dusty robes who’d accompanied young Luke into the bar. That was a fatal mistake: when Evazan hurled Luke aside and pulled his blaster, Obi-Wan Kenobi coolly ignited his lightsaber and cut Evazan down.”
The initial story about Dr. Evazan returning inRogue Onedoes not offer any new story details, or hint at how this scene stealer plays into the plot. Though it is noted that he won’t just be a mere background cameo. The character will have some dialogue and CGI will be used to bring him to life, even though the original was an actor in applied facial make-up.
While none of Dr. Evazan’s backstory is ever divulged in the big screen movies, with his history as a surgeon probably going unknown by even some of the franchise’s biggest fans, it will be interesting to see if the Doctor’s history comes into play, or is utilized at all in the story being told in Rogue One. TheStar Wars spinofftakes place in the days leading up to the big raid on the first Death Star by the Rebel fleet after two spies steal plans for the space station from the Evil Galactic Empire. So it doesn’t sound like we’ll get a look at any of Cornelius' earlier experiments. But we may learn exactly what brought him to Mos Eisley on that fateful day witnessed in A New Hope.
There have been persistent rumors thatRogue Onewill have a Cantina scene, which would be the first time any of the big screen movies have returned to the original location. It is believed that this is whereAlden Ehrenreich’s Han Solo will be introduced. And may have been part of the recent reshoots. But that hasn’t been confirmed or denied by Disney and LucasFilm. Some believe that Forrest Whitaker’sSaw Gerrerais actually sitting in the Cantina in the first trailer footage seen of the character, as the scene in question features the familiar walls and rounded archways reminiscent of that infamous watering hole on Tatooine.
Dr. Cornelius Evazan was last heard from in the pages of ‘Weapon Of A Jedi’, one of the books released as part of the big Journey To The Force Awakens campaign from last year. In that book, Luke remembers his bar fight from long ago during a meditation ceremony on the planet Devaron. It’s quite possible that we’ll be seeing ol' Cornelius very soon. Perhaps we’ll even see him tomorrow morning when the newRogue Onetrailer drops fromStar Wars Celebration.
