Benicio del Toro has offered some tiny hints about the nature of his mysterious Star Wars: The Last Jedi character, DJ. To date, Lucasfilm's marketing campaign has focused more on the returning characters from The Force Awakens, but they've been sure to highlight the new faces as well. Much has been made about Finn partnering up with Resistance mechanic Rose Tico on a mission, but she isn't the only one tasked with aiding the stormtrooper-turned-hero. One of the few details that's been revealed about DJ is that he is a hacker Finn and Rose encounter on Canto Bight, the casino city said to be a playground for the galaxy's elite.
Since DJ has been largely hidden in promotional materials, fans have spent a great deal of time speculating about his true nature. Something that is clear is that DJ is not a hero or villain in this tale, offering his services to whoever is willing to pay the most. That gray area is an aspect rarely explored in the Star Wars films, which makes this enigma one of the most intriguing elements The Last Jedi has to offer.
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In an interview with SciFi Now magazine, del Toro was quizzed about DJ, and came up with an interesting comparison:
"Maybe you could find him in a Bob Dylan song or a Tom Waits song. Or maybe in a Dostoyevsky novel. You’ll find DJ in one of those stories. You don’t know what he is. But that’s the idea… You don’t know if he’s good or bad.”
It's been rumored DJ has connections to the one and only Maz Kanata (who is very much committed to the fight against the First Order), so at first glance it would appear DJ is a good guy. However, depicting DJ as someone who does not have a horse in the race and is only out for himself sets up a far more compelling figure than another Star Wars rogue with a heart of gold. Kelly Marie Tran, who plays Rose, praised del Toro's performance for its unpredictability, saying the Oscar winner was like "a tiger in the room." John Boyega has also described DJ as a person difficult to trust, so his scenes should have a fair amount of tension, especially when our young heroes first meet him.
A recently released behind-the-scenes sizzle reel included a brief shot of DJ in a First Order disguise with Finn and Rose, meaning he eventually finds his way aboard the First Order star destroyer they have to infiltrate. Still, it's not worth reading too much into that imagery, since it was shown out of context and Lucasfilm isn't known to spoil plot details in advertising. As del Toro told SciFi Now, "The fans want that wrapping paper around that Christmas gift," meaning even though viewers want to know as much about The Last Jedi as possible, they still want all the secrets preserved until opening night. The studio has held DJ back for a reason, and it won't be long until we find out why.
