I suppose we'd better get used to Benicio Del Toro dispensing increasing vague details on his STAR WARS: EPISODE VIII role. When news first emerged that Del Toro was being eyed for the role of the villain in STAR WARS: EPISODE VIII, it seemed to be received favourably by fans and the actor later confirmed that talks were indeed underway. Earlier in the month Benicio Del Toro attempted to explain his character by saying "they don’t let me talk too much about it, I’m like the villain." While speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Del Toro further elaborated on his role by questioning the constant references to his character being a villain.
I don't know if he's a villain, people are saying that, but it's like they read a different script than I read. It's nice to keep people in the dark, a little bit of mystery is good, if they want to believe it’s the villain, then good.
Many of the best villains are considered such because from their point of view, they're the heroes; so that could be what Del Toro is hinting at here, or perhaps his character's motivations aren't as black and white as we would assume. Either way, I'm excited to have Del Toro take part in the new Star Wars universe, especially as he's been a fan of the series since he was young: "I saw the original one when it came out and it marked me, I was impressed by the film and by the characters and by the story and the message."
Production on STAR WARS: EPISODE VIII is set to get underway soon on the island of Skellig Michael and the film will open on May 26, 2017.