Star Wars: Emperor Palpatine Actor Teases Potential for Character’s Return…. Again

Actor and Star Wars icon Ian McDiarmid is teasing that Emperor Palpatine could show up in the franchise yet again. Palpatine (aka Darth Sidious) was the archvillain of the entire Star Wars Skywalker Saga – which was something of a big twist surprise during the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy climax, The Rise of Skywalker. Despite no real warning in the preceding Sequel Trilogy films (The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi), Palpatine was revealed to be still alive and in hiding for decades, in order to create a new Sith Empire. So if that twist could happen, should we be surprised if Palpatine were to show up anywhere else? 

Ian McDiarmid was doing an interview with Metro, where he was asked about his future in the Star Wars franchise. McDiarmid was careful to leave room in his response for the potential of one day reprising his role as Palpatine: 

“I think I have to accept that, thanks to my ungrateful granddaughter [Rey Skywalker], my annihilation was finally final. [But] of course [Darth] Vader is back in the new [Obi-Wan Kenobi] television series, so I suppose it’s not impossible that one day his mentor might be discovered once again skulking in the shadows.”

Could this be Ian McDiarmid’s low-key way of letting Star Wars fans know (without revealing) that Palpatine could make an appearance in the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney+? 

It would make sense: after all, the Obi-Wan Kenobi series is supposed to chronicle how Obi-Wan went from his time watching over a young Luke Skywalker on Tatooine, to having that big showdown with Darth Vader, which both alluded to in Star Wars: A New Hope. Hayden Christensen is returning to reprise his role as Darth Vader in the film; fans expect to get more from that epic re-casting than just one (or two) climactic duels between Obi-Wan and Vader. Giving Christensen more screen time and character development as Vader is something a lot of fans want; fulfilling that wish would pretty much require some scenes of Vader and Palpatine interacting. 

Star Wars comics have laid down a lot of good canon groundwork for Darth Vader’s internal conflict and twisted relationship with his Sith Lord master (Palpatine), and his place in the Empire. That’s all to say: even hidden behind Vader’s dark helmet and mask, there is plenty of drama for Hayden Christensen to dive into with his Vader return – and plenty of fun for Ian McDiarmid to have as Palpatine. If Ian McDiarmid isn’t up for live-action work, there are still Star Wars animated series (The Bad Batch) he can once again lend his voice to, in order to play Palpatine. 

Obi-Wan Kenobi will premiere on Disney+ in May. 

Source: Metro (via Star Wars News Net)