Benedict Cumberbatch In Star Wars Rumor Already Getting Shot Down

Have you read the latest news that Benedict Cumberbatch has been cast in Star Wars Episode VII? Rumors had been swirling on various message boards for several days that Cumberbatch might be part of Star Wars, before news exploded this morning when Film Chronicles reported that Cumberbatch had been cast. Is it true? We have no idea, which is why we clearly labeled our report as rumor. While it could very well be true, one interesting observation is that neither Variety or The Hollywood Reporter has jumped on the story. When a rumor involving a major star breaks, one of those two sites will usually confirm the rumor if it is true. However, Daily Variety journalist Marc Graser actually appears to be shooting down the rumor via Twitter. When asked about the Benedict Cumberbatch in Star Wars rumor, Graser tweeted, "You might not want to hold your breath on that one." When asked if his response meant the rumor was true, Graser responded, "Meaning the rumor is a fun rumor that many, including me, wish were true." Since he works for Variety, Graser definitely has the connections to know if the rumor is true or not, and he certainly seems to be suggesting that it is not. It also appears that Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News might have shot down this rumor before it even got revealed. When reports were surfacing that film blogs were sitting on some major Star Wars casting news, Knowles was asked when the news would break. Knowles responded, "well, seems it isn't true, so hopefully never?" Of course, the rumors about a Star Wars casting announcement being imminent do appear to be valid, so it might explain why everyone is jumping on the Benedict Cumberbatch rumor. If casting announcements are indeed made this upcoming week, the Cumberbatch rumor should be proven or discredited very soon.

@antbwan23 well, seems it isn't true, so hopefully never? — Harry Knowles (@headgeek666) August 31, 2013

@antbwan @elmayimbe @Jack_Morrissey Meaning the rumor is a fun rumor that many, including me, wish were true. — Marc Graser (@marcgraser) September 2, 2013