Star Wars: Emperor Palpatine to RETURN? Ian McDiarmid hints at ‘chance’ of a comeback
STAR WARS legend Ian McDiarmid has admitted the possibility of a return for Emperor Palpatine.
Ian McDiarmid plays Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars
Insisting that he wouldn’t want anybody else to play the part, the actor, 73, said that he could easily pop up in an anthology tale.
“I suppose there must be a chance but I think you’d find out about it more quickly than I would,” he told BBC News.
“As far as the new films are concerned, I’m dead. There is no question about that.
“But there is what they call the anthology series and actually the most recent one, Rogue One, was about the time when I was in charge.
McDiarmid was a big part of the prequel and original trilogies
Emperor Palpatine was the key antagonist
“I was referred to a few times, Darth Vader popped up, but you did not see me.”
He added: “Maybe they are keeping me as a surprise for later but I have no idea. Of course, I don’t want anyone else to play him.”
Palpatine has factored in to much of the fan speculation around the upcoming Episode 8 - with some reckoning Rey (Daisy Ridley) could be one of his descendants, and others saying he is in fact Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis).
But it seems that even if either of those were correct, the character himself will not be seen in the upcoming blockbuster.
Hayden Christenson on filming Star Wars' lightsaber battles
Rian Johnson confirmed yesterday that The Last Jedi is finally done in pre-production, and is now awaiting release.
“Aaaand that’s a wrap on the hardest working post production team in the galaxy,” he wrote on Instagram.
“Going to miss sitting in dark rooms with these goobers.”
Star Wars 8: The Last Jedi is out on December 14 in the UK.