Matt Kennedy/Lucasfilm
This piece contains spoilers for the first season’s third episode of “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.”
The universe of “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” is filled with intriguing extraterrestrial beings. Their impact can be so profound that, sometimes, it isn’t until the final credits roll that we fully grasp their significance. One such character is Benjar Pranic, an ex-crew member of Jod Na Nawood’s (Jude Law) team. When Jod tries to retrieve SM-33 (voiced by Nick Frost) under the direction of Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), KB (Kyriana Kratter), Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), and Neel (Robert Timothy Smith), Pranic nonchalantly walks in. Despite being aware that Jod should be locked in the brig, he initiates a friendly chat that soon turns into the unsettling revelation that Jod is now being pursued by Brutus’ (Fred Tatasciore) entire crew. This proves that a pirate, retired or not, is never to be trusted.
Pranic, who might just be a fleeting character, has quite the dialogue, doesn’t he? It could be because he’s voiced by a renowned actor from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Alfred Molina, famous for his role as Otto “Doctor Octopus” Octavius in Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man 2” and the 2021 Marvel multiverse collaboration “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” is the man behind Pranic’s deceptively pleasant voice. Given that Law himself plays Yon-Rogg in “Captain Marvel,” this scene essentially becomes a tête-à -tête between two Marvel Cinematic Universe villain veterans.
Molina, a versatile actor, has given remarkable performances in films like “Frida,” “Boogie Nights,” and “Promising Young Woman.” Interestingly, “Skeleton Crew” isn’t his freshman venture in a franchise linked to George Lucas. Back in 1981, Molina was seen as the treacherous guide to Indiana Jones’ (Harrison Ford) in the iconic opening of “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”
The Art of Making Cameos Unrecognizable in Star Wars
Lucasfilm
As any seasoned “Star Wars” fan would know, Alfred Molina isn’t the first familiar face to pull off a covert cameo in the galaxy far, far away. Far from it, in fact. The actor joins a long list of celebrities that the franchise has delightfully disguised.
The most memorable of such camouflaged cameos is perhaps when Simon Pegg appeared in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” concealed in the bulky costume of the ruthless Jakku junk boss Unkar Plutt. Another significant creature cameo is in “The Last Jedi,” where the splendidly named Slowen Lo is voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Essentially, every installment of the Skywalker Saga, and many other “Star Wars” live-action works, teem with delightful cameos from well-known industry figures, both in front of and behind the camera. Even George Lucas himself made a cameo in “Revenge of the Sith” as a minor political figure named Notluwiski Papanoida.
A popular “Star Wars” strategy to mask a famous cameo actor’s identity is simply by costuming them as a Stormtrooper. Whenever one of these expendable characters has a fleeting moment of humor that seems out of the ordinary, chances are that the helmet is concealing a celebrity like Daniel Craig (in “The Force Awakens”), Tom Hardy (in “The Last Jedi”), Karl Urban (in “The Rise of Skywalker”), or Jason Sudeikis (who plays a scout trooper in “The Mandalorian” season 1). Clearly, Molina is in great company. As “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” seems poised to carry on the franchise’s tradition of hosting cameos, fans should be on the lookout for the next big name in the credits.
Credit: www.slashfilm.com
