Benedict Cumberbatch Cast In ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’ [Rumor]

UPDATE: Wegotthiscovered.com is reporting that Benedict Cumberbatch could play a major role as a Sith villain.

If the rumor mill is to be believed, then the announcement of Benedict Cumberbatch’s casting in Star Wars: Episode VII can happen at any moment now.

Yes, one of the most popular leading men at the moment, Cumberbatch is supposedly on the verge of singing on to work with his former director from Star Trek Into Darkness, J.J. Abrams, several sources are reporting.

The British thespian recently dropped out of Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak. And coincidentally, both films begin production at about the same time.

When the announcement came that Benedict had dropped out of del Toro’s production many were disappointed, but he might have been doing it to free himself for the much talked about Star Wars.

Although at the time, no reason was given by his agent, but it was said not to be related to another project. Hmmm.

Benedict Cumberbatch has made it no secret that he’s a fan of the George Lucas films. In an interview with Total Film viaCollider both Abrams and Cumberbatch said that even though they liked Star Trek, their hearts were with Star Wars.

“Yeah, I grew up with them, and I just looked recently at when they were released and now I’m like, ‘No, I didn’t grow up with them, I was born with them.’ They were a huge part of my background, and my upbringing.”

“I was much more connected to (Star Wars) as a kid, in the way that a lot of kids are because it’s immediate storytelling, very simple – a beautifully, outrageously simple narrative in a way – and a wonderful three-act melodrama, opera. And I loved them. I really, really loved those films and I always wanted to be Han Solo. Everything Harrison Ford did I just thought was the coolest thing ever.”

So clearly Benedict Cumberbatch loves Star Wars, but does that mean that we will see him in Episode VII? Production begins January 21.