The Star Wars franchise has enthralled audiences for decades, but it's currently a very interesting time in the galaxy far, far away. Disney and Lucasfilm are cranking out new blockbusters at an impressive pace, with the fandom currently reeling from the release of both Solo: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The latter continued the main narrative of the franchise, introducing a handful of new characters to join the main heroes. One of these was Benicio del Toro's mysterious DJ, who was part of the less than stellar Canto Bight sequence. The actor was recently asked if he'd like to return to the space opera, saying:
I have no answer for those, not because I'm withholding information, but there's nothing on my plate right now. But would I like to? Yes, sir.
While far from an actual confirmation, it looks like Benicio del Toro is hoping to return to the galaxy far, far away. So little is known about J.J. Abrams' Episode IX, therefore it's unclear exactly what will happen in the highly anticipated threequel.
Benicio del Toro's comments to Variety are sure to elicit mixed feelings from the generations of Star Wars fans out there, especially given his role in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Director Rian Johnson purposefully subverted fan expectations with the sequel, to mixed reception from the community. While some like that Johnson took risks and changed up the iconic characters, others felt it strayed too far away from the Star Wars franchise we knew and love.
DJ as a character is definitely one of the less favorable aspects of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The Canto Bight sequence is generally considered a waste of screentime, with a tone that didn't really fit with the rest of the film. DJ enters when Finn and Rose are trapped, and promises to be the master codebreaker they'd been looking for. Ultimately he double crosses the duo of heroes, and his fate was left unknown after he sold them out to Captain Phasma.
The issue that audience seem to have with Benicio del Toros' characterization of DJ seemed to deal with the strange vocal affect and twitches he used during his brief appearance. BDT plays a total weirdo, but the character never really payed off the way that the actors' fans were hoping. Although now that he's officially in the canon, it seems he could pop back up at any moment.
Aside from J.J Abrams' untitled Episode IX, there are also quite a few other places that DJ might pop back up in the Star Wars franchise. Rian Johnson is developing his own trio of films, which seems a likely choice given Johnson's relationship with the character. Plus, there are the standalone films that may or may not still be in active development at Disney.
You can watch Benicio del Toro in Star Wars: The Last Jedi for home release, and streaming on Netflix. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
