The big rumor last weekend claimed that Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch was up for a role in Star Wars: Episode VII. Of course, it was almost immediately denied by his reps. But that wasn’t enough for some who still believe that the British actor is on contention for a part in the highly anticipated sequel.
One such person is Brendon Connelly over at Bleeding Cool, who stated this weekend that he is still “99% certain” that Cumberbatch will be journeying to a galaxy far away very soon. Connelly points to an interview with Cumberbatch in The Telegraph and suggests that reading between the lines reveals a bit more than the actor initially seems to be saying.
“Of course I’d love to do Star Wars and work with JJ Abrams again because we had such a good time on Star Trek,” he says. “But nobody has been cast and there are no offers out to anyone apart from the regulars who are returning. So that’s that rumour quashed.” Then he adds with a grin: “We’ll have to wait and see.”
Cumberbatch is not denying that he has been talking with the folks at Lucasfilm, he just says that there has been no offers going out yet to any potential new cast members. And his statement suggests the question as to how exactly would he know that no offers have been sent out if he wasn’t expecting to receive one himself.
Now it could be that we are splitting hairs here, and reading into Cumberbatch’s statement more than is actually there. But as the actor states, we shall just have to wait and see. And with production set to start early next year, we probably don’t have long to wait.
