One of the good things about the release of Mission Impossible Rogue Nation is that, as well as a solid addition to the action-spy franchise, the gentleman’s agreement between Paramount and Disney over the use of the name Rogue will be at an end. Thus we should finally get to hear more about Gareth Edwards’ Star Wars Anthology film.

Expected to play a part in the D23 event in August a handful of casting notes and vague plot details exist about Edwards’ film, which follows a group of rebels attempting to steal plans for the dreaded Death Star. News today, uncovered by the BBC, posits that cast members Felicity Jones, Forest Whittaker and, perhaps, Ben Mendelsohn will be joined by British actor Jonathan Aris as Senator Jebel.

Jonathan Aris

Aris is well known to the BBC’s Sherlock fans as Philip Anderson, who butts incredulous heads with the detective and who, in the recent series, provided his own wonderful reaction to Sherlock’s explanation (true or otherwise) of his faked death. Aris was always seen recently in Wolf Hall as James Bainham.

The BBC spotted the actor’s Spotlight page (since updated) with the small, recent addition.

jonathan aris rogue one spotlight

The character’s name suggests he’ll be on the side of the Rebels, presumably as part of the decaying senate which Peter Cushing’s Moff Tarkin so memorably spoke of its being swept away in the first Star Wars film.

Here’s hoping we’ll hear more about Gareth Edwards’ film in a month’s time. And an official release of that Alec Guinness-voiced teaser trailer for  Rogue One would be good…