Familiar faces from Star Wars join a chilling classic: what we can expect from Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein

Star Wars has given us daring pilots, brilliant tacticians, and unforgettable faces. Now, two of its most striking actors, Oscar Isaac and Lars Mikkelsen, are stepping into a darker, stranger world. In Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming adaptation of Frankenstein for Netflix, they’re trading the vastness of space for the shadowed corners of human obsession, pain, and creation.

Isaac, once the magnetic Poe Dameron, takes on the role of Victor Frankenstein, a man driven to defy nature. Mikkelsen, whose chilling presence as Thrawn left audiences breathless, becomes Captain Anderson, a figure still shrouded in mystery but sure to command attention. They’re joined by Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, and Game of Thrones’ Charles Dance, building a cast as fierce as it is fascinating.

When actors shaped by one of the most iconic sci-fi universes of all time bring their weight to a gothic masterpiece, something electrifying is bound to happen.

Guillermo del Toro’s vision for Frankenstein

Guillermo del Toro has never been interested in making simple horror. For him, monsters are reflections of the human soul, mirrors for grief, love, and loss. His take on Frankenstein is no exception.

Speaking about the project, del Toro explained:

“Somebody asked me the other day, does it have really scary scenes? For the first time, I considered that. It’s an emotional story for me. It’s as personal as anything. I’m asking a question about being a father, being a son… I’m not doing a horror movie — ever. I’m not trying to do that.”

What matters here isn’t the shock but the sorrow. The film promises to explore the fractured bond between creator and creation, the loneliness of a man who dares to play god, and the ache of a creature longing for connection.

This emotional focus gives actors like Oscar Isaac and Lars Mikkelsen the space to bring out the deep, complex layers fans have seen flashes of in their Star Wars performances, but here, in an entirely new light.

Oscar Isaac: from Poe Dameron to Victor Frankenstein

Oscar Isaac left a permanent mark on Star Wars as Poe Dameron, the fearless pilot with charm, defiance, and an undeniable spark. Poe was more than just a hero in the Resistance; he was a man who constantly pushed boundaries, questioned authority, and carried the weight of impossible decisions upon his shoulders. Isaac’s performance balanced swagger with vulnerability, showing the cracks beneath the confident surface.

As Victor Frankenstein, Isaac steps into a character who also defies limits, but in a far more dangerous way. This isn’t the leader of a rebellion; this is a man driven by obsession, haunted by his brilliance, and pulled into moral darkness.

Fans who admired Isaac’s ability to bring raw emotion and layered intensity to Poe will likely see those same gifts sharpened here. Del Toro’s Frankenstein demands more than a genius scientist, it demands a man tormented by his choices. Isaac, with his magnetic screen presence and talent for portraying internal conflict, is ready to deliver something unforgettable.

Lars Mikkelsen: from Grand Admiral Thrawn to Captain Anderson

Lars Mikkelsen became a fan favorite in Star Wars Rebels and Ahsoka as Grand Admiral Thrawn, a villain unlike any other. Calm, calculating, and always ten steps ahead, Thrawn commanded power not through brute force but through intelligence and precision. Mikkelsen’s voice work and live-action presence made the character unforgettable, exuding quiet menace and razor-sharp control.

In Frankenstein, Mikkelsen takes on the role of Captain Anderson, a character still wrapped in mystery. While we don’t yet know his exact place in the story, it’s easy to imagine how Mikkelsen’s mastery of restrained authority and icy intensity might shape this new figure. Whether as an ally or adversary, Captain Anderson will likely carry the same magnetic tension that Thrawn brought to every scene.

For fans, seeing Mikkelsen step from the world of intergalactic strategy into the emotional, shadowed landscape of Frankenstein promises a fascinating shift, one that could reveal unexpected depths in an actor already known for his chilling precision.

Beyond Star Wars: a cast that promises something unforgettable

Oscar Isaac and Lars Mikkelsen may be the Star Wars names pulling attention, but they’re part of a cast brimming with magnetic talent. Mia Goth, fearless and unpredictable, has carved out her place in modern gothic cinema. Christoph Waltz brings a sharp, elegant menace honed over years of unforgettable roles. Charles Dance, forever etched into memory as Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones, carries a quiet authority that can shape every scene he enters.

This isn’t simply a reunion of familiar faces. It’s a convergence of artists shaped by some of the most iconic and emotionally charged worlds in entertainment. Together, they’re stepping into Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, a story that explores the raw edges of creation, destruction, and the aching desire for connection.

For Star Wars fans, this is more than a casting thrill. It’s an opportunity to watch beloved performers move beyond the galaxies they once commanded, entering a tale where the deepest conflicts unfold not across star systems, but within the human heart.

Final thoughts

There’s something magnetic about watching actors leave one iconic world to step into another, especially when the shift is as bold as moving from the shining stars of a space saga to the haunted shadows of gothic horror. In Star Wars, Oscar Isaac and Lars Mikkelsen gave us characters shaped by defiance, precision, and quiet menace, etching themselves into a universe defined by rebellion and control.

Now, under Guillermo del Toro’s direction, they’re part of a story that pulls in the opposite direction, inward, toward the raw, aching places of the human heart.

This Frankenstein isn’t about spectacle or nostalgia. It’s about loneliness, the hunger to be loved, the unbearable cost of creation. Surrounded by a cast that knows how to pierce through surfaces, Mia Goth’s eerie vulnerability, Christoph Waltz’s sharpened charm, Charles Dance’s icy command, these actors are stepping into something that promises to unsettle not with jump scares, but with truths we’d rather not face.

For Star Wars fans, this is a rare invitation. It’s the chance to watch beloved performers unravel in ways the galaxy never allowed, to see them crack open old roles and reveal something raw, human, and entirely new.