Appearing at her third SAG Awards in a row thanks to HBO's Game of Thrones' nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, Gwendoline Christie commented on her involvement in another fan-favorite franchise set in a galaxy far, far away. Though a lot of attention was paid to her imposing and unique character Captain Phasma in the run-up to the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the relative lack of screen time or influence on the plot left fans scratching their helmets in confusion.

Now, as Christie herself confirmed during the red carpet for the 2016 SAG Awards, we know for sure that she'll return as Captain Phasma in writer/director Rian Johnson's Star Wars: Episode VIII. We still don't know the extent to which her character will be involved, but considering that she got the short end of the stick thanks to the main characters in the seventh installment, I'm expecting much more out of Christie's Phasma. We'll find out for sure when that film opens December 15, 2017.


Watch Christie at the red carpet for the SAG Awards talking Star Wars: Episode VIII with People:

Christie talked about her experience on Star Wars: The Force Awakens before confirming that she'd be returning for the next installment:

"I was very overexcited. I made no secret of the fact that I really campaigned for the part for a long time. And then I was delighted when J.J. Abrams wanted to have me in the film and then wanted to cast me in this role that had originally been designed for a man."


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When prompted, Christie also talked briefly about Captain Phasma's super-polished Stormtrooper costume:

"I thought the costume was incredibly striking. I also just liked this notion of a female stormtrooper. I felt it encouraged diversity and it was doing something new and it was an interesting bit of casting for women, and I hope that in something that was such a mainstream success it would breed more of those kind of opportunities for other women."

And finally, the confirmation of her Star Wars: Episode VIII appearance, which was a foregone conclusion considering her barely-there screen time in Star Wars: The Force Awakens:

"I will be in the next Star Wars movie. I think that's an exclusive, actually."

Here's a look at some more of our recent Star Wars coverage:


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Image via Lucasfilm