Director Ron Howard shared a photo of the 46-year-old actor on the set of the Star Wars stand-alone film.
"The Outer Rim just got a little bit wilder #PaulBettany #ForceFriday," Howard wrote.
The film marks third collaboration between Howard and Bettany. They have previously worked together in "A Beautiful Mind" and "The Da Vinci Code"
"It's my third opportunity to work with Paul. He's a blast and so talented," Howard, 63, added.
Bettany's casting comes two weeks after Michael K Williams dropped out of the project due to scheduling conflicts.