Casting Star Wars Episode 7

The Han Solo Option 1: Michael Fassbender

We'd like whoever makes Star Wars Episode VII to stick as closely to the original trilogy template as possible.

We're not saying they should reboot and recast Solo, but that there should definitely be a charming rogue character in the mix.

And we're not sure who has more roguish charm than Fassbender at the moment.

Combine the sleaze of Shame (without the swinging saber) with the conflicted heroism of Magneto, and you've got your man.

Failing that, we could see him as a villain - after all, I nglourious Basterds saw him don the sort of fascist duds the Empire liked to keep in their closets, and X-Men: First Class saw him demonstrate very force-choke-like skills.

Basically, we just want him in this thing.

The Han Solo Option 2: Aaron Eckhart

If Fassbender's a little too British to play one of the most iconic American heroes (okay, Corellian heroes), then Eckhart has the right mixture of rugged toughness and twinkle-eyed charisma to play the Galaxy's hippest space pirate.

It sounds as though Eckhart was disappointed not to reprise his role as Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight Rises .

Let's give him another shot at a blockbusting franchise.

The Han Solo Option 3: Ryan Gosling

Han Solo was the guy that men wanted to be, and women wanted to… Well, we can't go into it here, but trust us, it's filthy.

Ryan Gosling is the current epitome of that dynamic, with girls writing 10,000 word blog posts dedicated to Gosling marriage proposals, and boys running out to buy silk jackets with massive scorpions on the back.

There isn't anyone hipper in movies today. And he recently dropped out of Logan's Run …

Maybe he was clearing space in his schedule for the bigger SF blockbuster franchise with indie cred.

One thing's for sure, we know he can drive. If anyone can do the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs, it's Gosling.

The Princess Leia Option 1: Jennifer Lawrence

Leia is one of the coolest female characters of all time.

Cocky when facing the scariest Sith in the universe, bad-ass in a battle, and she looks good enough in a metal bikini to turn C3P0's head.

Everything about Jennifer Lawrence's persona - both on and off the camera - makes her the perfect fit for this part.

And, unlike someone like Kristen Stewart, say, she's as popular with boys as she is with girls.

She's basically the Ryan Gosling of actresses - and wouldn't you like to see those two spar off against each other?

If she's not one of the first people announced, we'll be very, very surprised.

The Princess Leia Option 2: Scarlett Johansson

But if Lawrence is too busy, we're hoping that Scarlett Johansson can fit Episode VII in around her Avengers 2 shooting schedule.

Both properties are owned by Disney after all, so there'll be potential to make it work.

Like Carrie Fisher before her, Johansson mixes sensuality with strength - often feeling like the hardest person in the room, even when she's in a room with an alien god.

And forget the metal bikini, we want to see Scarlett running around a starship in Organa's white robes, gun in hand.

The Princess Leia Option 3: Emily Blunt

But with both Johansson and Lawrence both tied up in mega-franchises, we think there's room for Emily Blunt to take a shot at ruling the galaxy.

After all, she was the first choice for Iron Man 2 's Black Widow, before having to drop out.

Stick a couple of croissants to her head, and she's the spitting image of Fisher.

She even sounds a bit like her in Looper . Especially when she's wielding a shotgun. Star jump this woman a contract, immediately.

The Luke Skywalker Option 1: Joseph Gordon Levitt

Despite the near-constant speculation since the release of The Dark Knight Rises , we will never get to see Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Batman.

But he's got exactly the correct combination of wide-eyed optimism and conflicted darkness we'd need for Episode VII 's resident farm boy.

We'd like to see Levitt make the transition from (500) Days Of Summer 's whiny complainer, to Rises ' improvisational hero, through to Looper 's bad-ass by Episode IX .

The Luke Skywalker Option 2: Dane DeHaan

You might not know the name, but how many people could name-check Hamill before Star Wars? Anyone who's seen Chronicle will have probably already mocked-up a photoshop image of Dane in Jedi robes.

Chronicle 's arc is remarkably similar to Star Wars ; a group of young people discover they have force-similar superpowers, and have to decide whether to go down a light or dark path. All that's missing are the laser swords.

DeHaan was the stand-out star, and his ability to demonstrate a believable transition from weakness to world-conquering power would be perfect for Episode VII 's universe.

The Luke Skywalker Option 3: Ben Whishaw

Skywalker has to be a bit geeky, with hidden strengths. He has to look like he'd be ignored in a crowd, while also retaining the potential to be the romantic lead.

It's a very difficult balance, one that Whishaw pulls of with ease.

The fact that half the world has just seen him in Skyfall , the biggest film of his career, will definitely help his case.

The Obi-Wan Option 1: Mark Hamill

It really can't be anyone else. If there is to be an Obi-Wan style mentor to the new group of Star Wars kids, it has to be Hamill.

Not only because it'll connect Episode VI to Episode VII , but because Mark Hamill is awesome.

Just imagine the cheers when Hamill's Skywalker steps out of the shadows in his black cloak, pulling down his hood to reveal a fresh Kenobi style beard, just before he lights his green saber to cut down some Stormtroopers.

The Obi-Wan Option 2: Gary Oldman

But if for some reason Hamill can't do it, then we want the closest thing we've got to Sir Alec Guinness.

A true British icon and one of the best actors we've ever produced - Gary Oldman.

He's done Potter, he's done Batman, he may well need to atone for RoboCop , let's get him fitted for some Jedi robes, just in case.

The Darth Vader Option 1: Tom Hardy

Let's face it, Hardy's Bane was Darth Vader in all but name.

The life-support face-mask, the weird breathing, the unusual voice, the propensity for choking…

Episode VII 's villain needs to be an iconic bruiser fit to follow in the cape-sweeps of one of the big screen's greatest ever baddies.

And Hardy's demonstrated a propensity for pulling off that particular magic trick in the past.

The Emperor Option 1: Ralph Fiennes

But if the Episode VI I filmmakers decide to go down a darker path, by utilising a less direct villain more in the insidious mold of the Emperor, then Ralph Fiennes should probably start preparing his signature for all the various contracts that Disney will be putting in front of him soon.

After all, with the Empire defeated, Episode VII 's villain will have to rise from a position of extreme weakness.

That's something that Fiennes' Voldemort knows a thing or two about.

The Grand Moff Tarkin Option 1: Benedict Cumberbatch

People frequently forget that Darth Vader wasn't the main villain of A New Hope - Peter Cushing's Tarkin was the man in charge of the first Death Star. He's the one who decided to destroy Leia's home world to make a very basic point.

So we'd like to see a version of that character - an ordinary human, full of the purest evil - in Episode VII .

Cumberbatch isn't known for playing the villain, but that'll change as soon as Smaug is unleashed onto Middle Earth.

We reckon it's high time he played a haughty baddy strolling around the Death Star. Or Death Moon.

Or whatever the big weapon ends up being called in the next Star Wars film.

The Grand Moff Tarkin Option 2: Tom Hiddleston

Meanwhile, Tom Hiddleston is very much known for playing the villain - he was the baddie in the biggest blockbuster of the summer, after all.

If Thanos is due to take centre-stage in Avengers 2 , then we really shouldn't deprive 2015's film fans of the chance to see Tom sneering in the face of his foes in a good vs evil CGI-fest.

Let's hope that Disney is currently setting the coordinates of their Millennium Falcon for Asgard, with an Imperial Military outfit on the back-seat.