Star Wars 9 leak: Young Emperor PALPATINE played by THIS British star?

The final movie in the triple trilogy saga is expected to bring back some famous faces from the past.

As well as the confirmed return of Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian, fans know they will see Luke and Leia one last time.

However, there are already major rumours that iconic characters like Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker will feature, most likely in some kind of vision of Force ghost scenario.

The most popular recent rumours have surrounded the big screen revivals of both Snoke and Emperor Palpatine – but nobody was expecting the Emperor’s return to be done like this…

A new claim this week from The Weekly Planet podcast has made a huge dent in every previous Palpatine report.

SuperbroMovies was the first to report the story: “A classic Star Wars character could be making their return to the series. According to James of The Weekly Planet Podcast, Doctor Who alum Matt Smith may be playing a young Sheev Palpatine in Episode IX.

“During the show’s Hot Scoop or Shot of Poop segment, Mr Sunday Movies revealed that a source, who is close to the production of Episode IX, claims that Smith will be bringing the Emperor back to the big screen.”

Smith’s Sith shock has immediately lead fans to suspect scenes showing him with his master, Darth Plagueis.

Smith’s involvement was officially confimed back in August, but there has been no official word about his role, as yet.

As always, take any of these swirling rumours and leaks with a hefty pinch of salt.

Some pedantic fans have already poined out that 6’1 Smith is too tall to play Palpatine, while many are understandably more interested to see the reurn of the magnificent McDiarmid one last time.

With other reports pointing to flashback scenes with Snoke, fans have pointed out that Smith’s angular features and height would be perfect to portray a younger version of the former First Order leader.

How will this tie in with previous reports that Palpatine would appear in an old hologram about Imperial weapons and plans being watched by Kylo Ren?  

That certainly implies the classic McDiarmid incarnation?

The biggest attraction of a young Palpatine scene is the associated hope that fans will finally get to see Plagueis on screen, especially since many fans are also hoping for a shock revealtion that Snoke was actually Plagueis all along…

ORIGINAL STORY AT SUPERBROSMOVIES

THE WEEKLY PLANET PODCAST HERE