Star Wars: Emperor Palpatine Actor Addresses Possible Return for Rey Skywalker Movie

Audiences were both surprised and delighted when Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy announced at Star Wars Celebration that not only would a film taking place after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker be on the way, but also that Daisy Ridley would be reprising her role of Rey Skywalker and it would explore Rey’s attempts at rebuilding a New Jedi Order. With The Rise of Skywalker confirming that Rey was part of the Palpatine lineage, some fans might be wondering if this could mean another appearance by Ian McDiarmid’s Emperor, though the actor confirmed he hasn’t heard about such a return at this point. Lucasfilm has yet to confirm when this film could be moving forward and with the writers’ strike halting progress on such an endeavor, it’s possible McDiarmid merely hasn’t been contacted yet, with it still being possible he could be involved.

When asked about a return in the form of a flashback by ComicBook.com at ICCCon Nashville, McDiarmid confirmed, “I haven’t been approached.” 

It’s also worth noting that McDiarmid kept a tight lid on his return ahead of The Rise of Skywalker, so it’s possible that any talks about such a return haven’t been solidified or that he’s outright misleading his involvement in the project.

Alongside C-3PO actor Anthony Daniels, McDiarmid has the distinction of being involved in all three eras of the Star Wars cinematic franchise, having appeared in the original trilogy, prequel trilogy, and sequel trilogy. His last appearance was in a brief cameo in the Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi series, confirming just how willing McDiarmid is to stay involved with the franchise for even a short appearance.

In addition to Kennedy confirming that a new film was on the way featuring Rey Skywalker’s return, she also confirmed that a film focusing on the Dawn of the Jedi was in development, as was a movie that would bring together the events of The Mandalorian and Star Wars: Ahsoka during The New Republic. Rumors about all three projects claim that the New Jedi Order film was the farthest along in development, though Lucasfilm has yet to confirm the timeline for any of these releases. Given the impact the writers’ strike has had on all corners of Hollywood, and with no clear resolve in sight, we might not be getting any updates on these movies anytime soon.

Stay tuned for updates on the Rey Skywalker movie.

Would you like to see McDiarmid return for a flashback? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!