Star Wars Episode IX: Matt Smith is the subject of the wildest rumor

Even with so much still unknown about Star Wars Episode IX, some outlets have gone for the wildest rumor yet about a new member of the cast.

Warning: We may not believe this rumor just yet, but at the same time, it could be a massive spoiler if it’s true. Therefore, we’re obligated to put a spoiler warning on here.

When even io9 dubs the following Star Wars: Episode IX rumor “truly ridiculous,” then also calls it “poop” later on (although, to be fair, the latter comes from io9’s source), then you know that this rumor is either complete bunk or completely true and we’ll all just be wrong until December 2019. There is no middle ground or room for misinterpretation. The Weekly Planet Podcast has said its sources say that a young Emperor Palpatine will appear in Episode IX, as played by none other than Matt Smith.

We’ll understand if you took a break to laugh in disbelief or otherwise stare at your screen, hoping for the words to rearrange themselves into a new, more sensible order. However, the fans of r/StarWarsLeaks have settled into multiple theories, one of which is that Smith will play Palpatine during his apprenticeship to Darth Plagueis in a recording.

This seems like it’d be a criminal underuse of Smith’s acting talents (much as his acting might not be for everyone, he does have them), since that hologram would likely be brief at best. Moreover, why would the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the wise matter, other than for J.J. Abrams to acknowledge a meme and make it plot-relevant?

One going theory that’s been around since Snoke’s first appearance is that he was Darth Plagueis, still somehow kicking around; one Reddit user tied the two together by suggesting that that would be what the message contains.

All the same, there’s a lot that Episode IX has to do already, as other users have noted, so why does it need to explain who Snoke is post-mortem? Does Kylo Ren really need to discover it after he’s already killed his mentor?

Let’s say a young Palpatine does appear. What does he do that, say, the Force ghost of Anakin Skywalker or even other Jedi like Yoda cannot? The sequel trilogy has already made sure to distance itself from the Sith terminology altogether, favoring mere references to the dark side instead of the Sith specifically. Much as Kylo Ren might be a Sith in all but name, he’s still instead the head of the Knights of Ren, not Darth Kylo (which would, in fact, be the worst name. Might we suggest Darth Caedus instead?).

As a result, tying back to the Sith now, after two movies that basically don’t, seems like the wrong decision. We’re not advocating for Episode IX to completely “let the past die,” as Kylo Ren says in The Last Jedi, but nor are we saying that the past is always the best.

Just let Smith be some annoying First Order officer or some character who seems like he could be supremely important and then turns out not to be. He doesn’t need to be the vehicle by which we get a twist for a twist’s sake.