Valerian Cast & Character Guide: Where You've Seen The Actors Before

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets may not be the most well-known movie, but the Valerian cast is certainly stacked with A-list talent. Based on the French science fiction comic series Valérian and Laureline and released in 2017, the movie takes place in the 28th century and centers on two operatives, Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are tasked with traveling to the peaceful Alpha, the City of a Thousand Planets, to complete a mission. However, when an unknown force threatens the future of the entire universe, Valerian and Laureline must race against time to stop them.

Valerian had a hefty budget of over $177 million (via Box Office Mojo) and has the distinction of being both the most expensive independent movie and European movie ever made. Unfortunately, Valerian failed to make a splash at the box office, grossing just over $225 million worldwide, which is actually a loss when factoring in advertising costs. Critics also weren't kind to the movie, and it earned a paltry 47% on Rotten Tomatoes. But despite this, director Luc Besson claims that a Valerian sequel is still possible based on the movie's "huge fanbase."

Dane DeHaan As Major Valerian

Birthdate: February 6, 1986

Character: In the Valerian cast, Dane DeHaan plays the protagonist, the cocky United Human Federation soldier Major Valerian, who is also Laureline's love interest. Valerian is an arrogant, often immature, and unreliable member of the United Human Federation police force. However, Valerian has a dream about a planet called Mül, which is where he ends up being sent on a mission with his partner, Laureline.

Actor: DeHaan's first credited role is in Law and Order: SVU season 10, episode 4, "Lunacy" as Vincent Beckwith. However, the actor has had much greater success in film, and his most famous roles include Jason Glanton in The Place Beyond the Pines, Lucien Carr in Kill Your Darlings, and Harry Osborn/Green Goblin in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. 2023 was a strong year for DeHaan, as he played Kenneth Nichols in the Oppenheimer cast and appeared as Marcus' boss Brad in Dumb Money.

Cara Delevingne As Sergeant Laureline

Birthdate: August 12, 1992

Character: Cara Delevingne plays Valerian's much more serious partner, United Human Federation soldier Sergeant Laureline. She was a former French peasant girl in the Middle Ages who went on to become Valerian's partner after rescuing him in the past. Unlike Valerian in the movie, she is someone who takes their missions seriously and doesn't let herself get distracted from their goals. She is also the person who is able to keep Valerian on the straight and narrow.

Actor: Delevingne began her career as a model, and her first feature film role was 2012's Anna Karenina, in which she played Princess Sorokina. Since then, her most notable film roles include Margo Roth Spiegelman in Paper Towns, June Moone/Enchantress in Suicide Squad, and Cassie in Her Smell. On the TV side, Delevingne played Vignette Stonemoss in Carnival Row and Selena Gomez's love interest, Alice Banks, in Only Murders in the Building season 2. Delevingne also appeared in American Horror Story, Delicate.

Clive Owen As Commander Arün Filitt

Birthdate: October 3, 1964

Character: Veteran British actor Clive Owen plays Commander Arün Filitt, Valerian and Laureline's superior, in the Valerian cast. He is a strong and determined commanding officer, but he is also the villain at the end of the film's story. Owen plays the role perfectly, seeming like a loyal ally to his soldiers but then turning on them when the time is right to become a deceitful and hateful antagonist.

Actor: Owen has had a prolific film career with his most notable roles being Dwight McCarthy in the Sin City movies, Dalton Russell in Inside Man, Theo Faron in Children of Men, and Larry Gray in Closer, which earned him an Oscar nomination and won him the Golden Globe and BAFTA. The actor has also been successful in television, including his award-nominated work as Ernest Hemingway in Hemingway & Gellhorn and Dr. John W. "Thack" Thackery in The Knick. He also portrayed Bill Clinton in the Impeachment: American Crime Story cast.

Rihanna As Bubble

Birthdate: February 20, 1988

Character: In Valerian, Rihanna plays Bubble, a shapeshifting burlesque entertainer whom Valerian and Laureline meet on their travels. She was part of the mission with Valerian and Laureline, and the three of them had to escape from a fight, which they did through a trash chute. However, this also was the moment that Bubbles was injured and ended up dying. Some film theories believe that she faked her death to escape Valerian and the possibility of her arrest (via Reddit).

Actor: Rihanna is a world-famous, decorated pop singer with eight studio albums to her name. She has been nominated for 33 Grammys throughout her prestigious career, winning nine. When it comes to movies, Rihanna is known for voicing Gratuity "Tip" Tucci in Home and for playing herself in This Is the End, Petty Officer Cora "Weps" Raikes in Battleship, and Nine Ball in Ocean's Eight. She hasn't appeared in a movie since her role in Guava Island in 2019.

Ethan Hawke As Jolly The Pimp

Birthdate: November 6, 1970

Character: Ethan Hawke plays Bubble's "protector," Jolly the Pimp in Valerian. The role is a smaller one, which is impressive for an actor as famous as Hawke. He is a pimp, and his main client is Rihanna's Bubble. While the movie didn't receive great reviews, Hawke had a good time making the film, saying, "I’ve been acting for 30-something years, and I was really, really blown away. I would like to work with [Luc Besson] again" (via Collider).

Actor: Hawke has had a legendary movie career and is best known for his collaborations with Richard Linklater, including the Before trilogy as Jesse Wallace (Hawke was nominated for two Oscars for co-writing the screenplays) and Mason Evans Sr. in Boyhood, which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Hawke is also known for his roles as Troy Dyer in Reality Bites, Vincent Anton Freeman in Gattaca, and the Grabber in The Black Phone, and he famously cameoed in Glass Onion.

Herbie Hancock As Defence Minister

Birthdate: April 12, 1940

Character: American jazz icon Herbie Hancock plays the Defence Minister in Valerian. His role was a small one, but it was a fun cameo by the legendary singer. When talking about how he got the role, he said, "I've always tried to put things together that people don't normally put together. [Besson] said he's the same way. So we saw eye to eye on a lot of things. We talked about art and about life. And about our vision of life and of creativity and human beings. It was a pretty deep conversation" (via Thrillist).

Actor: A pianist, Hancock's career took off when he joined the Miles Davis Quintet. Hancock has 14 Grammys under his belt, and in film, he won the Oscar for scoring 'Round Midnight. He also acted in that movie, playing the role of Eddie Wayne. Hancock hasn't done much other acting, apart from playing Catfish Willie Slim in Girl Meets World season 1, episode 15 "Girl Meets Brother". However, Hancock has played himself in a number of movies, including Indecent Proposal and Miles Ahead.

Sam Spruell As General Okto-Bar

Birthdate: January 1, 1977

Character: British actor Sam Spruell plays General Okto-Bar in the Valerian cast. He is a member of the United Human Federation, but unlike Valerian, he is someone who will follow orders, even if he knows what he is doing is wrong. This is proven when he learns that Commander Arun Filitt is a villain and still follows all his orders and does what he is told, including attacking Mul and the army.

Actor: Spruell has made a career out of playing villains, and is best known for his film roles as Finn in Snow White and the Huntsman and Oleg Malankov in Taken 3 and on television as Swarm in Doctor Who series 13. Spruell continued his television career playing Ole Munch in the cast of Fargo season 5 and then followed that up in 2024 when he took on the role of Horace in the spinoff Max series Dune: Prop[ecy.

Alain Chabat As Bob The Pirate

Birthdate: November 24, 1958

Character: In Valerian, Bob the Pirate is played by Alain Chabat. Unlike many characters in Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, Bob the Pirate is an original character, created by Luc Besson for the movie. There are similar characters in the comics, but Bob was added to create some lively, quirky characters for entertainment purposes.

Actor: A celebrated French comedic actor, writer, and director, Chabat is known for playing Serge Karamazov in La Cité de la peur, Bruno Deschamps in The Taste of Others, and the titular character in Didier. The actor also famously voiced Shrek in the French dubbing of the hit animated franchise.

Rutger Hauer As The President of the World State Federation

Birthdate: January 23, 1944

Character: Dutch actor Rutger Hauer played the President of the World State Federation in the Valerian cast. What is really impressive about the President of the World State Federation is that he appeared in the movie for just one minute. Despite the quick cameo, Hauer has such a big name that he received top billing despite his lack of screen time and importance to the plot. He was also given a spot in the opening credits with a listing of "and Rutger Hauer" at the end.

Actor: While Valerian bombed, Hauer's best-known role is in a much more successful sci-fi film, as he famously played replicant Roy Batty in Blade Runner. Hauer has acted steadily throughout his prolific career, often disappearing into his roles. Like Clive Owen, Hauer starred in Sin City, playing Cardinal Patrick Henry Roark. Hauer also appeared in Batman Begins as William Earle and as the titular protagonist in Hobo with a Shotgun. On TV, the actor played Niall Brigant in six episodes of True Blood.

Valerian Supporting Cast

The Rest Of The Main Cast Members

John Goodman as Igon Siruss - Though John Goodman is known for his funny roles in comedies, he steps over to sci-fi to play Igon Siruss in the Valerian cast. Goodman is most famous for playing patriarchs Dan Conner in the sitcom Roseanne and its sequel series The Conners, and Eli Gemstone in The Righteous Gemstones.

Kris Wu As Sergeant Naza - Sergeant Neza is played by Kris Wu in Valerian. Wu was a member of the South Korean-Chinese boy band Exo from 2012 to 2014. He went on to have a career as a solo artist and actor in Mainland China, with his first film being Somewhere Only We Know in which he played Ze Yang. The actor made his Hollywood debut as Nicks in XXX: The Return of Xander Cage​​​​​​. In 2022, Wu was convicted of rape and received a sentence of 13 years in prison.

Elizabeth Debicki as Emperor Haban Limaï - In Valerian, Elizabeth Debicki plays Emperor Haban Limaï. In film, Debicki is most known for playing Ayesha in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies and Catherine Barton in Tenet. She also notably played Princess Diana in The Crown, which earned her an Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

Ola Rapace as Major Gibson - Major Gibson is played by Ola Rapace in the Valerian cast. Rapace's most famous role to date is Patrice in the James Bond film Skyfall.

Louis Letterier as Captain Welcoming Mercurys - Though he played Captain Welcoming Mercurys in Valerian, Louis Letterier is best known as an action movie director. His filmography includes Transporter 2, The Incredible Hulk, and Now You See Me. He also took over directing Fast X from Justin Lin and will continue on to helm the 2025 sequel in the Fast & Furious franchise.

Olivier Megaton as Captain Welcoming KCO2 - Olivier Megaton plays Captain Welcoming KCO2. Like Letterier, Megaton has directed many famous action movies, including Transporter 3, Taken 2, and Taken 3.

Sasha Luss as Princess Lihö-Minaa - Rounding out the Valerian cast, Sasha Lucc plays Princess Lihö-Minaa. Luss is a Russian model whose most famous film role is the titular character in 2019's Anna.