Edward James Olmos is definitely going to be playing his previous role in Blade Runner 2049, despite the fact that he has denied it for several months prior.
Apparently, the reason why he kept it a secret was because he had signed a 7 page non-disclosure contract and agreement that prevented him from being able to talk about his role to anyone.
The original film by Ridley Scott came out in 1982 and Olmos played the character of Eduardo Gaff. He was the very last person to see character Rick Deckard before he vanished, which therefore made him an important character if a sequel were to come out (which clearly will).
Olmos stated that his role in the sequel will be very limited and won’t be making many appearances, as it was in the original movie as well. However, when he does appear, it will be for important scenes and to capture and continue the storyline.
We still don’t know much of the plot for this new film, but we do know that it is set to hit theaters in October of this year.