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Star Wars Episode VIII: Who Is Benicio Del Toro Playing And What Does It Mean For Kylo Ren?
by Aaron Edwards on July 21, 2015
Lucasfilm has offered the actor a role, but what is it?
The new era of Star Wars films has been creating a fantastic stable of talent to tell the further adventures of the galaxy far, far away. Just recently, we heard that Lego Movie directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller will be directing a Han Solo origin film along with rumors that Donnie Yen may be sought after for Episode VIII.
Now, we're hearing that Benicio Del Toro is being sought after for the villain role of the next Star Wars episode.
Who could the villain be?
That's the question on everyone's mind. But to do that, we need to look at the villains of The Force Awakens.
Why are we looking backward?
Because there are three villains in The Force Awakens. Adding a fourth in the next film would just be too much. So, it stands to reason one or more bad guys are going to be killed to make room for Benicio Del Toro's new character.
Who is most likely to die?
General Hux, no doubt. He's coming across as the Grand Moff Tarkin of the film, which means he probably isn't long for that world.
What about Supreme Leader Snoke, Captain Phasma, and Kylo Ren?
Supreme Leader Snoke is something of a mystery at this point, as it seems they're deliberately holding back on his screentime in Episode VIII so they can increase his roles in the next two. It's possible he'll die, but we don't think that will be the case.
Captain Phasma is pretty hard to tell, but she also seems very much like a background presence in the film on the same level as Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back. It she were to live or die, it wouldn't necessarily impact the big players in the First Order.
As for Kylo Ren, that one is more in the air. It seems he's being billed as the Darth Vader of the new trilogy, which means he'll be around for all three films. However, it's very possible he could be more of a Darth Maul, which means he's a one-and-done. To many fans Maul's premature death is cited as one of the biggest problems of the Prequel trilogy, so it's possible that the new Star Wars brain trust is looking to avoid that blunder.
There are a few possibilities in regards to Kylo Ren. Either he will die in The Force Awakens, survive and be one of several villains in Episode VIII, or he will become a neutral party.
A Neutral Party?
Check out our article about Rey and her possible connection with Kylo Ren, but if our speculations are true and his character is more Vader-esque, it's possible he may be set on a path to redemption over the course of the new trilogy. If this were Avatar: The Last Airbender, perhaps Kylo Ren is this Zuko. If that's the case, they need to bring in an Azula for a main bad guy: Benicio Del Toro's character.
Will Benicio's character be a Sith?
We're not sure, but it wouldn't surprise us if he were a Force user. The guy can play evil so well it almost seems a crime not to put a red lightsaber in his hands.
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Aaron Edwards is a Los Angeles based screenwriter and filmmaker. On one faithful night when he was five, he sneaked out of his room and watched Aliens on cable. Soon after, he fell in love with storytelling and has been a big ol' nerd ever since. You can follow him on twitter @aaronmedward
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There's a New Star Wars: Forces of Destiny Short Out Today, and It Ties Right into Solo
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