Star Wars 7: Peter Mayhew joins as Chewbacca

While Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher are believed to be returning in minor roles

Peter Mayhew will reprise his role as Chewbacca (Getty Images)

For Harrison Ford, the original Star Wars trilogy was a springboard to a blockbuster movie career.

For some of his supporting cast members, however, the sci-fi spectacular remains their professional peak – but as production begins on another sequel, some are getting another chance to reprise their iconic roles.

This week it was revealed that the British actor Peter Mayhew, who played Solo’s hirsute sidekick Chewbacca, will return as the irritable Wookiee in the forthcoming film, so far known only as “ Star Wars: Episode VII ”.

Set 30 years after 1983’s Return of the Jedi, it is intended as the first instalment of a new trilogy produced by Lucasfilm and its parent company, Disney.

Mayhew, now 69, played Chewbacca in four previous films, from the original, 1977’s Episode IV: A New Hope, to the 2005 prequel Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.

Ford (as Han Solo) and his fellow stars Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) and Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), are believed to be returning in minor roles.

Girls’ star Adam Driver has been rumoured to appear as a “Darth Vader-type character” but his role has not yet been confirmed by the production.

Breaking Bad star Jesse Plemons, Downton Abbey’s Ed Speleers and Attack the Block’s John Boyega have also been rumoured for a leading role in the movie.