YOUR FAVORITE MTV SHOWS ARE ON PARAMOUNT+

Benedict Cumberbatch Reveals The Origin Of His 'Star Wars' Casting Rumors

'Of course I'd like to do it,' the actor told MTV News of taking part in the seventh installment's of the interstellar saga.

Toronto--Ever since Disney announced that a seventh "Star Wars" film would be hitting theater screens sometime in 2015, nearly every actor on Earth has been rumored to be up for a role. The latest actor rumored, however, has a bit more evidence backing up the claim than just a mere hunch. Benedict Cumberbatch is rumored to be up for a part in the J.J. Abrams-directed "Episode VII," a rumor that makes even more sense considering that Abrams placed the talented Cumberbatch in the highly coveted and highly controversial role of Khan in "Star Trek Into Darkness." Did the duo enjoy their first intergalactic romp enough to sign up for a second outing?

"I don't know. I genuinely don't know," Cumberbatch told MTV News' Josh Horowitz while promoting his new film--the WikiLeaks drama "The Fifth Estate"--at the Toronto International Film Festival. Whether or not Cumberbatch genuinely does or does not know remains up in the air, as he may have grown accustomed to telling white lies about his film work thanks to his time on the "Star Trek Into Darkness" promotional tour, where the actor could never once mention the real character he was playing.

Cumberbatch does seem to be honest when he revealed just how badly he would like to be involved in the new "Star Wars"--a desire that apparently Abrams or George Lucas is also aware of. "People know I'd like to be, including the boss, most importantly."

These rumors first popped up last week when Cumberbatch suddenly pulled out of director Guillermo Del Toro's next film, "Crimson Peak." Tom Hiddleston stepped into the role, replacing one fan favorite actor for another, but this action, Cumberbatch theorizes, led to his present association with "Star Wars."

"This is all conjecture after me passing on another film, and that meant me meeting with people saying, 'Ah, he's passed to free himself up for 'Star Wars.'' I didn't know they were filming at the same time. I had no idea, and of course I'd like to be in it. Of course I'd like to do it, but no formal offers are being made at all as far as I'm aware. So really, it is just conjecture."

Whether or not Cumberbatch joins the light or the dark side of the Force, audiences can see him next in "The Fifth Estate," which opens on October 18th.

Latest News