Fans have many questions about what’s going to happen in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and one of them is whether Doctor Who star Matt Smith is actually going to be in the movie.
Last August, it was reported that Smith was joining the cast of the film in a “key role,” with many assuming that he’d be playing some kind of First Order officer or major antagonist. Then things got murky. Smith began to shut down stories that said he was in the pic and his name was removed from Rise‘s cast list on Disney’s official UK site.
Theories on what’s going on with the actor have ranged from something as prosaic as his part being cut to him secretly playing a younger clone of Emperor Palpatine (take away the ‘M’ from Smith and what have you got? Think about it!). But now, Star Wars Direct have got their hands on a new promotional picture from The Rise of Skywalker that they claim appears to be Matt Smith’s character.
Well, I guess it could be him. I mean, Smith does have green eyes and if you really squint you can sort of imagine his brow under there. But that makeup is so heavy and reveals so little of the actor’s face that it could be almost anyone under it. Fans are split on Twitter as well, with some confident that it’s him and others not so convinced.
Whether it’s the Doctor Who star or not though, at least it’s a really cool looking new alien. I guess we’ll know soon enough if this is a major character in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker or just another background creature. If it does turn out to be Smith though, here’s hoping it’s a meaty part that he can do justice. Although, it’d be hard for anyone to emote under all that makeup.