"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is set to hit theaters on December 18, just 149 short days away. Conversely, "Star Wars: Episode VIII" is scheduled for a May 26, 2017 release which is 674 days away. That's a long time to wait, so to keep fans in the loop over that span we're tracking all of the popular "Star Wars" rumors.
Today, The Wrap reports that actor Benicio del Toro ("Guardians of the Galaxy," "The Usual Suspects") may be up for the lead villain role in Rian Johnson's "Star Wars: Episode VIII." Fun fact: del Toro was offered the role of Darth Maul in "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace" but declined due to the character's lack of dialogue and screen time.
Here's what The Wrap reports:
"Benicio del Toro has the offer to play the villain in 'Star Wars: Episode VIII,' multiple individuals familiar with casting process have told The Wrap. Discussions are still in the very early stages, but Disney and Lucasfilm are high on the Oscar-winning 'Traffic' star."
Del Toro is an accomplished actor who is no stranger to dark and sinister characters. He would bring a certain amount of gravitas to a villain role in the "Star Wars" universe. At this time, though, it is unknown how his character would fit into the new trilogy. Will he be mentioned by name in "The Force Awakens" to set up his introduction in "Episode VIII" or will the second installment in the new slate of films be introducing an entirely new villain?
We'll keep you updated as more details emerge.
