The actor who will replace the late Kenny Baker as iconic droid R2-D2 in the Star Wars films has been announced. Jimmy Vee, a 57-year-old Scottish actor who has appeared in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Pan will take on the role, having apparently learned the ropes from Baker himself.

Vee actually appeared as the droid in 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but went uncredited, with Baker named as the actor. The replacement’s first official outing in costume will be tStar Wars: The Last Jedi, to be released at Christmas.

Baker died last summer, aged 81. Like Baker, Vee is 3ft 6in tall. Vee will play the droid when he’s walking on two feet; other shots are achieved with a radio-controlled unit.

Vee said: “It’s been an absolute pleasure to have worked alongside the legendary Kenny Baker. Kenny was a fantastic actor and taught me all the tricks on how he brought R2-D2 to life, which I will continue to portray in his honour.

“I’m so excited to be a part of the Star Wars universe and can’t wait for everyone to see what we’ve been working so hard on for the last year.”

Meanwhile, Glasgow University has announced their inaugural Star Wars course – a one day seminar held initially on key Star Wars date 4 May called Star Wars and Philosophy: Destiny, Justice and the Metaphysics of the Force. The course synopsis reads:

The Star Wars universe is one in which a mysterious force, the Force, governs all and directs the destiny of individuals and civilisations alike. But what does the notion that a person has a destiny – a fixed future – tell us about how free that person’s actions really are, and how morally responsible for those actions they can legitimately be held to be? This day event will examine this and associated questions concerning the relationship between there being a fixed future, free will, and moral praise or blame, all against the backdrop of George Lucas’ epic tale of the triumph of good over evil in a galaxy far, far away.

Course organiser Dr John Donaldson justified the course to the BBC on the grounds of enhancing the accessibility of philosophy.

“It’s an unfortunate fact that philosophy tends to be hidden away in universities,” he said. “You don’t get programmes about philosophy on TV for example, which you do about other academic subjects. You don’t tend to get books that deal with philosophical ideas. It’s not that accessible. We hope it will engage people and encourage them to take philosophy further.”