'Star Wars: Episode VIII': Villain’s Role Reportedly Offered To Benicio Del Toro

New reports suggest that Benicio Del Toro has been offered the role of a new villain in “Star Wars: Episode VIII.” There has been no official announcement about the casting for the movie by the producers yet.

TheWrap reports that sources familiar with the casting say Del Toro has been offered the role of the villain in the movie. Discussions are said to be still in progress, with no contract signed yet.

Del Toro has acted in popular movies like 1995's “The Usual Suspects” and the 2000 movies “Traffic” and “Snatch.” In Disney’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” he played the Collector.

According to the report, Del Toro will be a “strong fit” in the "Star Wars" franchise as a villain, as he is able to “conjure menace on a whim.” Justin Kroll of Variety notes that the actor was previously considered for the role of the villain in “Star Trek: Into Darkness” but did not get that part. The report, however, does confirm that Del Toro is in talks to play an “unknown” role in “Star Wars: Episode VIII.”

Studio executives reportedly met with Joaquin Phoenix for the same role. Another actor being considered for a different role in the movie is said to be Donnie Yen. According to a previous report by CinemaBlend, the Chinese actor may play a Jedi and will be traveling to London in August to start filming his scenes. The report, however, has still not been confirmed.

“Star Wars: Episode VIII” is slated to be released on May 26, 2017, in the U.S. and will be directed by Rian Johnson. Johnson has directed TV shows like “Breaking Bad” and “Terries” and movies like “Looper” and “The Brothers Bloom.”