The new Star Wars: Episode IX preview teased the return of Ian McDiarmid’s Emperor Palpatine.
At Star Wars Celebration Chicago, Lucasfilm unveiled the first official teaser for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and the preview concluded with the ominous laughter of Ian McDiarmid’s Emperor Palpatine, hinting at the return of the original trilogy’s key villain. After the teaser was screened, Ian McDiarmid appeared on stage but did not offer details on how or why Emperor Palpatine will return for Episode IX.
Ian McDiarmid’s Emperor Palpatine was the central villain of both the original and sequel trilogy, having been the mastermind behind key events that led to the fall of the Jedi and the rise of the Galactic Empire. In Star Wars – Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Ian McDiarmid’s Palpatine was killed by Darth Vader in an act of self-sacrifice and while the villain returned in stories from what was formally known as the Expanded Universe, those tales are no longer considered canon since Disney rebranded much of the material outside of the film and television shows as “Star Wars Legends”.
EMPEROR FUCKING PALPATINE #StarWarsCelebration #EpisodeIX pic.twitter.com/HiUUzdTtFm
— Michael Mistroff (@mmistroff) April 12, 2019
How do you think Ian McDiarmid’s Palpatine will return in Episode IX? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
Directed by J. J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Naomi Ackie, Richard E. Grant, Keri Russell, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, and Billy Dee Williams. Carrie Fisher will appear as General Leia Organa through the use of previously unreleased footage shot for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will be released in theaters on December 19, 2019.
Source: Star Wars
