Pacific Rim 2 is taking moviegoers back to the world of Jaegers and Kaiju, but as far as humans go, so far it's all new faces. Star Wars: The Force Awakens star John Boyega was added back in June as the son of Idris Elba's character, Stacker Pentecost, and Suicide Squad's Scott Eastwood joined a few weeks later. Now Pacific Rim 2 has finally found its female lead in newcomer Cailee Spaeny.
Spaeny casting was made official earlier today, though Variety didn't provide a character name or any details about who the actress will play. While John Boyega and Scott Eastwood are slowly growing more famous, Pacific Rim 2 will not only be Spaeny's biggest blockbuster appearance, but also her introduction for most movie fans. Her only two credits on IMDB are the thriller Counting to 1000 and the upcoming drama The Shoes, but as we've seen with Boyega's The Force Awakens co-star Daisey Ridley and other actors in the past, just because the public isn't familiar with them doesn't necessarily mean they won't impress. Here's the actress below, who is also a pop singer.
No plot details for Pacific Rim 2 have been revealed yet, but just like with 2013's Pacific Rim, fans can look forward to seeing human soldiers pilot the giant robots known as Jaegers to battle the Kaiju, monsters that come from an inter-dimensional portal at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean known as The Breach. It will likely be a while before Universal reveals official characters, but it's a good bet that Cailee Spaeny will play one of the new Jaeger pilots. It's unclear exactly how much time has passed since the first movie, but humanity still needs these defenders to ward off these monstrosities, and Spaeny's character could be contributing to the war effort. On the other hand, maybe she's a civilian who accidentally gets involved in the story. It's too soon to tell, but we're eager to learn how she fits in.
As mentioned earlier, so far the Pacific Rim 2 cast only consists of new actors. Charlie Hunnam, one of the stars from the first movie, confirmed he won't return for the sequel due to schedule conflicts, and none of the other original actors have said one way or another if they'll reprise their roles. Behind the camera, Steven DeKnight is taking over directing duties from Guillermo del Toro, who is still staying involved as a producer. Writers Emily Carmichael and Kira Snyder are reportedly tackling the script, and production is expected to begin near the end of the year.
Pacific Rim 2 hits theaters on February 23, 2018. Let us know what you think of Cailee Spaeny's casting, along with any other thoughts about the sequel, in the comments below.
