It seems actor Benicio del Toro may have confirmed that he’s been cast in Star Wars: Episode VIII, which is being written and directed by Rian Johnson. In an interview with a Spanish radio station, which is translated by StarWars7News.com, the actor discusses a more than probable future with Star Wars and his rumored role in it:
Interviewer: And are you going to shoot something after that?
Benicio Del Toro: No, just… *pause* Star Wars is coming up, we will see how that turns out. I think we start shooting in March.
Interviewer: And what’s your role in this new Star Wars chapter?
Benicio: Ehhh…. the thing is…. They don’t let me talk too much about it, I’m like the villain.
Interviewer: Oh wow!
Benicio: But…. we’ll see… *laughs*
Looking at the text at face value, Benicio could be saying one a few things here: a) he’s on a very short list of actors up for a major role in the next movie, b) he’s been picked but may still in the middle of negotiations, c) he’s been cast as an overarching villain/chaotic neutral rogue whose role will be more prominent as the series goes on.
I guess we’ll have to wait and see when Disney and Lucasfilm makes an official announcement.
As of right now, the scheduled release date of Star Wars: Episode VIII is May 26, 2017.
Source: Comicbook.com