Emperor Palpatine could make a return in the “Star Wars” universe, according to Ian McDiarmid, who played the character.
The news: McDiarmid — who played Emperor Palpatine in the prequel trilogy, “Return of the Jedi” and “The Rise of Skywalker” — recently told the U.K. news outlet Metro (via Star Wars Net) that he would be open to returning to the role.
What he said: “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.”
Why it matters: Emperor Palpatine returned in “The Rise of Skywalker” after his death in “Return of the Jedi,” upsetting fans who thought his death in “Return of the Jedi” was final, as I wrote for the Deseret News.
- It didn’t help that little to no explanation was given in “The Rise of Skywalker” for how Palpatine returned.
- In fact, a blog post on StarWars.com shared details for how Palpatine survived, specifically through transferring his consciousness into a clone of himself.
The bigger picture: Darth Vader is coming back into the live-action “Star Wars” franchise through the series “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” which takes place after the events of “Revenge of the Sith.”
- Emperor Palpatine would still be alive during the timeline of “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” so it’s not a wild notion to suggest he could make another return.