Star Wars: Matt Smith Claims He Isn’t in ‘Episode IX’

While it was never officially confirmed, reports emerged from reputable outlets that Doctor Who star Matt Smith would play a key role in Star Wars: Episode IX, igniting speculation about who he could be playing in the film in the following months. When asked about his role in the film, the actor reportedly claimed he wasn’t in it at all.

Journalist Emily Zemler recently interviewed the actor, taking to Twitter to share, “One takeaway: Matt Smith is not in the next [Star Wars] movie, despite reports to the contrary. He told me, ‘As far as I can tell, I’m definitely not.’ (Although maybe we’ll be surprised by his secret keeping in December.)”

One of her follow-up tweets confirms what their exchange meant, detailing, “The studio never announced him being in it so it’s totally possible that was just a rumor. But also possible he wasn’t allowed to tell me.”

It’s entirely possible, of course, that Smith was playing it coy and didn’t want to inadvertently reveal any information about his character. However, as he would be a newcomer to the saga, the confirmation of any involvement whatsoever wouldn’t necessarily confirm what his role would be in the same way that announcing Frank Oz being in Star Wars: The Last Jedi would have revealed that Yoda was in the movie.

Possibly complicating matters are recent comments made by Richard E. Grant, a newcomer to the saga, who previously starred with Smith in a Doctor Who Christmas special. When Grant was asked by the Radio Times about reuniting with Smith, Grant merely shared, “I would be fired if I told you anything about that.”

This could be Grant confirming that Smith is in the movie, or it’s possible that the actor wanted to avoid confirming or denying anything about Smith’s involvement.

Yet another possibility regarding Smith is that, while he may have been hired and filmed something for the film, the decision has been made in the time since filming that the scenes or sequences Smith appeared in have been cut, which would allow the possibility that he was cast last summer and has since been confirmed to “definitely not” be in the movie.

Fans will find out more about Star Wars: Episode IX when it hits theaters on December 20th.

Do you think Smith is actually in the film? Let us know in the comments below!

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