A batch of new rumors has popped up this week regarding the yet to be named roles of Benicio del Toro, Laura Dern and Kelly Marie Tran in "Star Wars: Episode VIII."
Courtesy of the reliable fan site Making Star Wars, a couple of very detailed descriptions of these new characters made their way online and if proven to be true, could have a significant impact on the Rian Johnson-directed film.
First up is the still very guarded character that the "Sicario" actor will be playing, said to be a classic "man in black." Despite wearing colors more associated with the dark side, the article notes that he is not deemed as a bad guy, at least not at first. But who is to say that he won't eventually turn out to be a Sith Lord or something similar? It is important to note that "Star Wars" is quite notorious for cloaking their characters. Cases in point are Senator Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), who eventually turned out to be the Emperor and Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones), who was once a Jedi padawan named Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen).
Dern's character, on the other hand, is described as someone who appears very regal and wears hair pieces reminiscent of the prequel trilogy. Her hair is pink for "Episode VIII" which in itself is kind of unusual. The theory is that the character will be someone from the higher-ups, perhaps a politician who is now involved with the power struggle that is happening in the galaxy.
It is important to note that at this point, no structure of government is present. Instead, fractured groups have been running around trying to suppress the First Order. Tying this to the events in canon novel "Bloodline," Dern may very well be someone who wants to kick General Organa (Carrie Fisher) out of the Resistance after news broke out that she is Vader's daughter. This is despite the fact that she has spent most of her life devoted to serving the greater good.
A piece of rumor from earlier this year involving a supposed hostile exchange between Dern and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) also leaked online. Fans know how devoted the hotshot pilot is to the former princess so this rumor seemingly supports claims of Dern's friction with General Organa.
Last but not the least is Tran's role who is said to be normal-looking. Other than that, no other specifics have been disclosed. However, previously leaked details reveal that she will have something to do with Finn (John Boyega).
Given that the media outlet has a good record in terms of spilling the beans for upcoming "Star Wars" movies, the information revealed is actually dubbed as "solid rumors." This may mean that the tipster that dished out these details has either been proven to be legitimate or the intel came from someone working inside Lucasfilm or Disney.
"Star Wars: Episode VIII" is set to blast through cinemas on Dec. 15, 2017.
