The cast for Star Wars: Episode IX continues to expand. Last month we learned that Keri Russell, Richard E. Grant, and Naomi Ackie had joined the cast for the conclusion of the main Star Wars saga, and now Deadline is reporting that Dominic Monaghan has signed on for an unspecified role in the upcoming sequel. The film will mark a reunion between Monaghan and director J.J. Abrams, who helmed the pilot for Lost. It will also mark a return to billion-dollar franchise filmmaking for Monaghan, who famously played Merry in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Details on Monaghan’s role, as well as the roles of his fellow new cast members, will likely remain firmly under wraps for about a year. Filming on Episode IX has just begun, and Abrams is a firm believer that releasing any information ahead of time is tantamount to spoiling the entire movie. Personally, I don’t mind staying in the dark on this one since it’s not like knowing details of Monaghan’s role ahead of time is going to make the movie a richer experience. We’ll find out when we find out, although I’m inclined to believe that, like with recent Star Wars movies, there will be an info dump in an issue of Vanity Fair sometime next year that provides some worthwhile details.

As for Monaghan, he was mostly recently seen in Duncan JonesMute, and he’s got roles in the upcoming movies Waterlily Jaguar and Radioflash. Monaghan is usually a fun addition to movies and TV series (I think he was one of the reasons Lost had such an emotional impact in its earlier seasons), and I’m eager to see what he’ll bring to the table in Episode IX.

Star Wars: Episode IX opens December 20, 2019 and also stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Billy Dee Williams, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, and Carrie Fisher.

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Image via ABC
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Image via Paramount Pictures
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Courtesy of Disney