‘Star Wars’ Taps Marvel Veteran for Disney+ Recast Following Original Star’s Death
Star Wars has made a casting decision that carries more weight than the typical Disney+ role change.
An upcoming project will revisit familiar territory from one of the franchise’s biggest streaming successes. Several recognizable characters are part of the return, but one of them has presented Lucasfilm with a situation it cannot handle in quite the same way.
The circumstances surrounding that role make the decision especially notable. And Disney ultimately found its answer in an actor who already has experience inside another massive franchise.
One Star Wars Role Presented a Difficult Question
Carl Weathers played Greef Karga across all three seasons of The Mandalorian, watching the character evolve considerably from his earliest appearances.
Weathers died on February 1, 2024, at age 76. While Star Wars lost the actor who played Greef, the character remained alive in the story.
That left Lucasfilm with several possibilities. The franchise could simply leave Greef on Nevarro, recast him for a future appearance, or find another way to revisit the character without continuing his live-action storyline.
Disney has now chosen the latter, at least for Greef’s next appearance.
The Character Is Coming Back in an Unexpected Way
Greef will appear in LEGO Star Wars: The Mandalorian, a Disney+ special that retells events from The Mandalorian through the familiar LEGO format.
The project is not picking up where Season 3 ended. Instead, audiences will see characters and events from the existing series revisited in a different form.
That means several roles will sound different. Gavin Hammon will voice Din rather than Pedro Pascal, while Eric Bauza takes over as Luke Skywalker instead of Mark Hamill.
Greef also needed a new voice, but his casting carries considerably different circumstances.
Disney Turned to a Familiar Marvel Face
Carl Lumbly will voice Greef Karga in LEGO Star Wars: The Mandalorian, taking over the character previously associated with Weathers.
Lumbly already has ties to another major Disney franchise. He plays Isaiah Bradley in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, first appearing as the character in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. He later returned in Captain America: Brave New World (2025).
His superhero work extends beyond Marvel. Lumbly voiced Martian Manhunter in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited before appearing as M’yrnn J’onzz in Supergirl.
His next franchise role now takes him into the Star Wars galaxy.
There Is More History Behind This Role
Greef initially appeared in The Mandalorian as a leader within the Bounty Hunters’ Guild, but his relationship with Din changed as the story progressed.
He eventually became a trusted ally to Din and Grogu while building a new future on Nevarro. Greef rose to High Magistrate and later offered Din a home there.
Weathers also played an important role behind the scenes.
He directed “Chapter 12: The Siege” and “Chapter 20: The Foundling.” His performance as Greef also earned him an Emmy nomination, further establishing his importance to the series.
That history makes Lumbly’s assignment different from the special’s other voice changes.
The Bigger Recasting Question Has Not Been Answered
For now, Lucasfilm has only announced Lumbly as Greef for this Disney+ project.
LEGO Star Wars: The Mandalorian serves as a comedic retelling rather than a live-action continuation. His casting, therefore, does not confirm that Lumbly would portray Greef if the character were to return elsewhere.
Some original actors are returning for the LEGO project, too. Giancarlo Esposito voices Moff Gideon, Rosario Dawson returns as Ahsoka Tano, Bill Burr reprises Migs Mayfeld, Timothy Olyphant returns as Cobb Vanth, and Taika Waititi voices IG-11.
Star Wars has previously recast a character following an actor’s death. Ray Stevenson died in May 2023 after playing Baylan Skoll in Ahsoka Season 1. Lucasfilm later selected Rory McCann to continue Baylan’s story.
Greef’s future does not require the same immediate decision because his last appearance did not end on a cliffhanger.
What Happens Next Is Still Unclear
Weathers helped transform Greef from a business contact into one of Din and Grogu’s closest allies, giving the character a much larger place in The Mandalorian.
Lumbly will now have the opportunity to revisit that character without immediately determining what happens to Greef in live action.
Whether the MCU actor’s performance will remain limited to this special or eventually lead to another appearance is unknown.
LEGO Star Wars: The Mandalorian premieres on Disney+ on September 2, 2026.
