Squadron 42 Characters: Cast, Roster, and Actor Guide

Squadron 42 characters bring Cloud Imperium Games' standalone single-player campaign to life through an ensemble of Hollywood stars and fully motion-captured crew members. Players step into the flight boots of a rookie United Empire of Earth (UEE) Navy combat pilot, interacting directly with iconic military figures, grizzled mentors, frontline service personnel, and dangerous alien adversaries across the Stanton and Odin systems.

The narrative centers on your military career alongside legendary aces and carrier crew members aboard capital ships like the UEES Stanton and UEES Gauntlet. Below is the full breakdown of confirmed Squadron 42 characters, their respective actors, and their roles in the campaign.

Confirmed Squadron 42 Cast and Character Roster

Every major character in Squadron 42 utilizes high-fidelity performance capture, recording both facial nuances and physical acting directly within game scenes and real-time shipboard interactions.

Core Military Commanders and Aces

The campaign places the player directly under seasoned fleet officers who dictate high-level tactics during the escalating war with the Vanduul.

Admiral Ernst Bishop (Gary Oldman)

Admiral Ernst Bishop is a renowned tactical mind commanding the UEE Second Fleet. Known for his cold determination and unyielding stance against alien incursions, Bishop views fleet assets through a purely pragmatic lens to protect human colonies. He leads major engagements such as the defense of Vega II and the massive offensive push known as Operation Mandrake.

Lieutenant Commander Steve "Old Man" Colton (Mark Hamill)

Colton serves as your primary wingman, flight mentor, and tactical instructor. A veteran survivor of the Fall of Caliban and the tragic "Lost Squadron," Colton is blunt, cynical, and demanding. He flies an Aegis Gladius configured with Omnisky laser cannons and refuses to remember rookie names until they prove they can stay alive in hostile space.

Captain Rachel McLaren (Gillian Anderson)

The commanding officer of the carrier UEES Gauntlet and the estranged daughter of Admiral Bishop. McLaren oversees early operations at Vega II. Prior to catastrophic fleet clashes, she personally endorses the player character's entry into the Navy Flight Academy, setting your military trajectory in motion.

Commander Ryan Enright (Henry Cavill)

An elite pilot leading strike elements within the legendary 42nd Squadron. Flying the Anvil F8 Lightning heavy fighter, Enright represents the pinnacle of naval combat piloting, spearheading deep strike engagements against massive Vanduul capital ships like the Kingship.

Captain Thomas Wade (Mark Strong)

Captain Wade is a calm, calculating naval officer serving in Bishop's operational sphere. Stationed aboard major battle group vessels such as the Bengal-class carrier, Wade provides a steady tactical hand when carrier engagements collapse into chaos.

The Crew of the UEES Stanton

A large portion of the campaign's early to mid-game takes place aboard the UEES Stanton, an Idris-class frigate housing roughly 81 individual crew members who operate on simulated duty shifts.

Captain Noah White (Liam Cunningham)

Captain White commands the UEES Stanton with quiet authority, maintaining naval discipline on frontier assignments. He pairs the player with veteran pilots to ensure the small frigate punches well above its weight class in volatile patrol sectors.

Executive Officer Sophia Kelly (Rhona Mitra)

Commander Kelly enforces shipboard rules, mission readiness, and security protocols across the Stanton's decks. She briefs transfers firmly on the realities of service, demanding absolute focus whether conducting patrol sweeps or emergency fleet responses.

Chief Engineer Eugene Morrow (Stephen Bisland)

Morrow is the veteran engineer responsible for keeping the Stanton's core systems, reactors, and thrusters operational. He familiarizes new arrivals with the ship’s interior layout during the initial vessel tour, constantly battling mechanical wear and tear.

Support and Deck Personnel

The ship features fully voiced crew members who populate the mess hall, hangar, and engineering bays across distinct duty shifts:

• Cara "Web" Webster (Sophie Wu): Chief mechanic managing fighter repair lines, diagnostics, and launch catapult checks.
• Lieutenant Commander Aaron Seto: Flight operations coordinator overseeing fighter launches and radar queues.
• Becca Farnway: Maintenance specialist focused on custom pilot ship setups and flight hardware prep.
• William Haynes: Turret gunner focused on gunnery drills and defensive screen coverage.
• Connie Hayes: Station engineer assigned to auxiliary power monitoring across the Odin and Kellog sectors.

Allies, Officials, and Adversaries

Beyond naval flight lines, the Odin system exposes players to local law enforcement, corporate mining security, and alien threats.

Special Agent-in-Charge Rebecca Trejo (Eleanor Tomlinson)

A veteran investigator from the UEE Advocacy stationed at Fortune's Cross in the Odin system. Piloting an Advocacy Avenger Stalker, Trejo provides intelligence on criminal cartels like the Outlaw Military Collective (OMC) while recruiting naval assistance for high-risk frontier busts.

Randall Graves (John Rhys-Davies)

Former pilot in the UEE Navy's Squadron 118 alongside Steve Colton aboard the UEES Chimera. After leaving military service, Graves took the compromised position of Chief of Security at the Archon mining facility, serving as an uneasy bridge between corporate bosses and visiting Navy pilots.

Julian Wexler (Ben Mendelsohn)

A conniving executive on Archon Station whose shady operations and covert backroom ties to the OMC complicate Navy patrols across the system.

Thul'Oquray (Andy Serkis)

The primary Vanduul clan warlord driving aggressive pushes into UEE space. Brought to life via Andy Serkis's motion capture performance, Thul moves with predatory speed in zero-G environments and commands Vanduul raiding fleets with ruthless aggression.

The Player Character and Social Systems

The protagonist in Squadron 42 is not a silent observer. Players customize their character's appearance and can choose between male performance capture (Ian Duncan) or female performance capture (Alix Wilton Regan).

• Dynamic Relationships: Conversations feature real-time dialogue wheels and optional reactions. Characters remember how you treat them during missions and social downtime.
• Physicalized Ship Life: The crew of the UEES Stanton does not despawn when out of sight. Personnel rotate through physical shifts, eating in the mess hall, working out in the gym to build personal attributes, or maintaining flight bays.
• Personal Log Connection: The updated mobiGlas interface ties into your character’s background, allowing you to receive mail from home, read updates on family contacts, and track faction unlocks as you climb the ranks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you customize your character in Squadron 42?

Yes. Squadron 42 includes a comprehensive character creator integrated directly into the story prologue, allowing you to choose appearance features and play as either a male or female UEE Navy pilot.

Who is the main enemy faction in Squadron 42?

The primary military enemy is the Vanduul, an aggressive, nomadic warrior species organized into raiding clans led by warlords like Thul'Oquray. Players also face human pirate factions like the Outlaw Military Collective (OMC).

Does Mark Hamill's character fly with the player?

Yes. Lieutenant Commander Steve "Old Man" Colton serves as your senior wingman and flight instructor during assignments in the Odin system, guiding you through reconnaissance sweeps and frontline dogfights.

How many crew members are aboard your main ship?

The UEES Stanton houses roughly 81 crew members, including deck mechanics, flight operators, medical staff, and commanding officers, all running on persistent schedules throughout the ship.