Matt Smith May Be Playing Young Palpatine In Star Wars: Episode IX

The Time Lord is headed to that galaxy far, far away – not the current Doctor (Jodie Whittaker), mind you, but a Doctor nonetheless.

Yes, earlier this year it was revealed that Matt Smith, star of Doctor Who and Netflix’s hit drama series The Crown, was climbing aboard Star Wars: Episode IX in a mysterious role. And that’s just it.

As is typical for any Star Wars production at Lucasfilm, details on who Smith could be playing are being kept tightly under wraps, where they’ll likely remain until early next year, by which point the Powers That Be will surely unveil the first footage of Episode IX in action.

But that hasn’t stopped the internet from speculating and a new report from The Weekly Planet podcast claims that Smith is taking on the role of a young Sheev Palpatine. Or at least, that’s according to a source close to the production of Episode IX, and given that this isn’t the first we’ve heard of the film bringing the Emperor back to the big screen, we’re inclined to believe it.

Unfortunately, no further details were provided on how Palpatine could factor into things, but no matter who Smith ends up playing, he’s certainly a welcome addition to the cast. He was brilliant in Doctor Who, bringing an ancient gravitas to the role with a performance that occasionally felt like he was a regretful thousand-year-old alien. Not to mention that he impressed everyone in The Crown as well, finding a depth and pathos with his Emmy award winning work as the repellently racist Prince Philip.

As such, we can’t wait to see him in that galaxy far, far away when Star Wars: Episode IX blasts into theaters on December 20th, 2019, at which point, Smith will join a small list of newcomers to the Sequel Trilogy that includes Keri Russell… and Billy Dee Williams, who’s about to reprise as the smooth-talking Lando Calrissian.