Star Wars: Doctor Who actor details his axed ‘transformative’ Rise of Skywalker role

Before the ninth Star Wars film, The Rise of Skywalker, was released in cinemas the former Doctor Who star Matt Smith was announced to be in the movie. However, his role in the epic conclusion was never confirmed and when the film was released Smith was nowhere to be seen. The actor has now spoken out on his epic part of the film.

Smith revealed in a new interview he never even got to film his scenes in the legendary series which boasted the likes of Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader and Han Solo.

He said: “No, I didn’t. We were close to me being in it, but then it just never quite happened.

“I think the thing they were thinking of me for… eventually the part became obsolete and they didn’t need it and so I never got to be in Star Wars. There we are.”

When quizzed about the role, he said: “I could not possibly say, but it was a pretty groovy thing. It was a really groovy part and concept.

“It was a big thing, it was a big story detail. Like, a transformative Star Wars story detail, but it never quite got over the line.” (Via Happy Sad Confused Podcast)

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Smith added: “It was a big … shift in the history of the franchise. No, there was no costume, there were a couple of meetings to talk about it.”

Star Wars fans have since speculated that Smith was due to play a younger version of Emperor Palpatine in the Disney movie. 

Palpatine returned in The Rise of Skywalker in the form of its original actor, Ian McDiarmid.

But a lot of the character’s plot revolved around him being cloned and remade through some dangerous science.

Smith’s inclusion also could have meant a further family tie for Rey.

If he was somehow Palpatine’s clone in the series, he would have been the prime suspect to be Rey’s father.

Considering her family are completely unknown at the moment, a big story surrounding them is still yet to be told.

In the near future, a brand new Star Wars book from Del Rey will explore the hidden lives of Rey’s parents.

Written by Empire State author Adam Christopher, the upcoming book is titled Shadow of the Sith.

The book will tell the story of how Luke Skywalker took on the Sith to protect a “young couple running for their lives”.

With so much riding on how Rey was brought into the world and where she stands in the Jedi mythos, this could certainly delve into Smith’s axed role.

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