Way back in 2018, word broke that Matt Smith was joining the final part of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, The Rise Of Skywalker (before it was even announced as that) in a "key" role. That, obviously, didn't happen, but now Smith is talking (slightly) about what impact the role could have had on the film and the wider story.
Josh Horowitz chatted to Smith for his Happy Sad Confused podcast, and the actor opened up on how close he actually came to being cast in the film, specifically: "We were close to me being in it, but then it just never quite happened." According to Smith, he had several meetings about a potential role, but didn't end up making a deal.
But what might he have played? Horowitz presses him, asking if he might have been Emperor Palpatine's son, but Smith demurs. "I could not possibly say, I could not possibly say, but it was a pretty groovy thing. Like, it was a really groovy part and concept. It was a big thing. Pretty big — it was like a big story detail, like a transformative Star Wars story detail. But it never quite got over the line."
You can find a clip and more details in the tweet below.
Fire up the ol' speculation engines to consider who Smith might have played. Snoke's unknown clone son, come looking for his dad? Yoda's taller younger brother? The mind reels. He can, however, be seen in Edgar Wright's Last Night In Soho, which is in cinemas.