Benicio del Toro Reportedly Offered Villainous Role in ‘Star Wars’ Sequel

Actor Benicio del Toro reportedly has received an offer to play the main villain in Star Wars: Episode VIII, sources familiar with the casting said on Tuesday.

Several unnamed sources told the Wrap that the Academy Award wining actor was in the very early stages of negotiations for the role. Disney, the production company backing the second installment of the hotly anticipated trilogy, has not officially commented on the offer.

Star Wars: Episode VIII is set to release around May, 2017, roughly a year and a half after Star Wars: The Force Awakens releases in theaters this year on December 18.