Matt Smith has shed some light on his Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker character, which was ultimately cut from the movie before the actor got to film any scenes.
In an interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Smith said his character was kicked out of the script and he wasn't needed for the movie.
"We were close to me being in it but then it just never quite happened," Smith said. "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."
Remember those reports that Matt Smith was going to be in THE RISE OF SKYWALKER? He told me his role was a big deal, representing “a big shift in the history of the [STAR WARS] franchise.”
WHO WAS HE GOING TO PLAY?!
Full video chat at https://t.co/e84WokCDhq pic.twitter.com/JGKiwPSba9
— Josh Horowitz (@joshuahorowitz) November 3, 2021
When asked by the interviewer if the rumors that Smith was playing Palpatine's son are any true, Smith couldn't say but, with a smile, promised that the role would've been big.
"I could not possibly say [if it was Palpatine's son] but it was a pretty groovy thing," Smith said. "It was a pretty groovy part and concept like a big story detail like a transformative Star Wars story detail but it never quite got over the line."
Smith said he had some discussions with the filmmakers regarding what his character would wear, but it sounds like his character never got much farther than that. The actor said he never even got to wear a costume.
When Smith started to conjecture if he would be able to show up in a later Star Wars project, the video stuttered and Smith's answer was lost.
"Well, maybe I can come back," Smith said. "You never know, I mean…"
The interviewer joked that it was a horrible time for the audio to drop and Smith blamed his poor internet connection. He never finished his answer and began talking about his role in the upcoming Game of Thrones spinoff.
An upcoming Star Wars novel that takes place between Episode VI and Episode VII will shed light on Exogol, which is the planet that Palpatine was hiding away on as was revealed in Episode IX.
J.J. Abrams, who directed Episode IX, recently talked about the importance of having a plan when embarking on a project.
Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN.