‘Did you hear it wrong?’ Donnie Yen on that HUGE spoiler about Rogue One character

Hong Kong action star acts either coy or clever when asked about speculation over the fate of his character in Star Wars spin-off movie, and tells fans: ‘Until you see something with your own eyes, it’s not the truth’

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Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen Ji-dan in a scene from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Published: 5:45pm, 14 Nov 2016Updated: 10:38pm, 14 Nov 2016

Warning: article contains major spoiler for likely Rogue One: A Star Wars Story viewers

As if it wasn’t enough of a big deal that Donnie Yen Ji-dan plays a leading role in the upcoming Star Wars spin-off film Rogue One, the Hong Kong action star has also become one of its largest talking points since he was involved in perhaps the most jarring crack in Disney and Lucasfilm’s draconian attempt to keep its story secret.

At the Star Wars Celebration Europe panel held in London in mid-July, everyone looked extremely uncomfortable when the Chinese actor Jiang Wen let slip on stage that – massive spoiler alert! – Yen’s character is going to die by the film’s end.

In Rogue One, Wen plays a mercenary named Baze Malbus, who is close friends with the blind spiritual warrior Chirrut Îmwe, played by Yen. The new film, which revolves around a plot to steal the plans to the Death Star, will also see the return of Darth Vader – and is expected to be a major force in the box office after last year’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens took in more than US$2 billion globally.

Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen, left) and Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen) in a scene from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Photo: Jonathan Olley/Lucasfilm

Wen said at the panel in his broken English: “So he and me was a partner and he of course believe in Force, but my character don’t believe in Force at that time. But I pretend all of them – not them, just them – to do very, very big mission, I cannot say that. And, when this guy dead, I do something better. Maybe I believe by my action, he’s thinker, I’m doer.”