According to Apple Daily, martial artist and Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen (Ip Man) is joining the Star Wars universe.

The Hong Kong tabloid claims that Yen has landed a role in Star Wars: Episode VIII, which is being directed by Looper director Rian Johnson. Yen will supposedly play a Jedi and will begin filming scenes with Harrison Ford ('Han Solo') next month.

Producers reportedly debated between Yen and Jet Li (The Expendables), but Li's asking price was twice the $4M payday Yen agreed to. There were other international stars considered for the role, like Stephen Chow, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Daniel Wu, Wang Leehom and Chang Chen.

Maybe the role is actually for the first Star Wars anthology film? TwitchFilm added, "We had heard rumblings that Gareth Edwards and his crew were circling a number of Chinese actors for a part in his standalone film Rogue One, which just started shooting last week."

Yen is best known for his performances in international films, but he has appeared in several Hollywood films, like Highlander: Endgame (2000), Blade II (2002) and 2003's Shanghai Knights.

Rian Johnson's Star Wars: Episode VIII will arrive in theaters May 26, 2017.