Benicio Del Toro Says When STAR WARS: EPISODE 8 Begins Filming, Offers Hint About His Character

A couple of weeks ago, Benicio Del Toro essentially confirmed that he would be starring in Rian Johnson's upcoming Star Wars: Episode VIII. He couldn't give any details, of course, but he said, "It looks like it's gonna happen."

Now, in a new Spanish interview sent to StarWars7News, he not only confirms that he'll be in it and reveals when filming begins (this coming March), he also offers a tiny bit of info about what kind of character he'll be playing:

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*

The news comes with a little note that points out that Del Toro's specific words were "es como el villano," which literally translates to "he's like the villain." By putting the word "like" in there (and not in a Valley Girl kind of way), Del Toro leaves his statement open to some interpretation. Will he be playing a guy who has evil tendencies, like a bounty hunter or something, but who ultimately sides with the good guys? Or is he the second in command villain, not the main baddie? That seems likely to me — I'm guessing whoever the main villain is pulling the strings in The Force Awakens (Andy Serkis, perhaps?) won't be dispatched by the end of that movie, and will probably stick around for Episode 8 and maybe even 9 as well. Could Del Toro's character be working for him?

We'll keep you posted as we hear more.