Casting Max Von Sydow (presumably as a villain) is further evidence that Disney are looking to give fans exactly what they want, as Von Sydow perfectly fits the Star Wars legacy of casting distinguished veteran actors, as seen previously with Peter Cushing, Alec Guinness and Christopher Lee. He would be equally adept at playing a villainous character or an elder statesman of the New Republic. As good as he would be in the latter role though - it has to be hoped that we are going to see him channel some of the arch-nefariousness he displayed in Flash Gordon and Minority Report to even greater effect in Star Wars.
7. Andy Serkis
As with Gwendoline Christies casting bringing in a Game Of Thrones a flavour, casting Andy Serkis is a masterstroke that finally brings the "Lord of all Motion Capture" into the Star Wars universe, and he has been welcomed with open arms. He is the Lon Chaney of his generation and Star Wars feels like his natural home. Let us hope that the creature he brings to life is one we embrace and stays with us as long as Yoda and Jabba the Hutt. That is of course if his involvement will be solely mo-cap, or even mo-cap at all - though frankly it would be a shock if it wasn't. He has a fine character actor's face and he could easily fit into a cameo role in live-action, and there's every possibility that we will see both: he will be tasked with bringing one of his own unique mo-cap characters to life, but we may also see him in the background, patronising a sleazy bar somewhere in a wretched hive of scum and villainy. Perhaps even alongside an ancient version of the posh looking Space Pilot Anthony Daniels played in the Episode II bar scene, Lieutenant Dannl Faytonny.