Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens is still months away from bringing joy to our eyeballs and already casting news is starting to trickle out for Star Wars: Episode VIII. The first rumored new role reportedly being sought is potentially a big one and some big names have already been attached to it.
How does “Benicio Del Toro Star Wars actor sound?” According to The Wrap and further backed up by numerous other trade sources, Lucasfilm and Episode 8 writer/director Rian Johnson have extended an offer to Del Toro to play a key villain in the film.
Variety further chimed in to confirm The Wrap’s report and add that Joaquin Phoenix was previously in the running for the villainous role and ultimately turned it down, marking the second big Disney role he’s rejected following an offer to portray Dr. Strange for Marvel.
Regardless of who ends up playing this new villain character, and it’s too early to be certain despite Del Toro presumably being the front-runner, the bigger news is that Lucasfilm is after a big name actor to play a villain when they already have a pair of villains appearing in The Force Awakens. Will either Kylo Ren or Supreme Leader Snoke not survive their first film, or will the ranks of evil simply expand in the second of three planned core Star Wars films?
Star Wars: Episode VII- The Force Awakens starring John Boyega, Daisy Ridley and Oscar Isaac opens in theaters on December 18. Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One starring Felicity Jones, Forest Whitaker and Diego Luna is set for December 16, 2016, while Star Wars: Episode VIII rolls out on May 26, 2017.
