With filming on Star Wars: Episode VIII to begin in early 2016 for a May 26, 2017 release it means we are going to be coming up against the possibility of Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens spoilers as casting begins to take place. It’s to be assumed characters from The Force Awakens will continue over into the next episode, presumably those of John Boyega, Daisy Ridley and Oscar Isaac specifically, while the fate and/or need of others remains in the air, but now the first talks of new cast members has surfaced with Benicio Del Toro being among the first.
The Wrap reports director Rian Johnson and Lucasfilm are looking at Del Toro as a possible villain in the upcoming film with an offer out to the actor, but no word yet on whether he’ll accept. Over at Variety they are reporting the studio also considered Del Toro’s Inherent Vice co-star Joaquin Phoenix for the same role.
Who is this character and what role will he play in the larger storyline? Well, considering we hardly know anything about The Force Awakens, it’s quite obvious we don’t know anything at all about Episode VIII.
Johnson wrote the film and will direct. Del Toro will next be seen in Sicario and was previously rumored for the role of Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness and recently played the Collector in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.
