ST Ian McDiarmid (Plapy) in Episode IX

We did.

"Everything we've learned from this is that the Sith are persistent; they will not die." It doesn't justify what the creators are doing, but I remembered that line from TCW. Might be relevant.

 

Yeah, I don’t see Palpatine as played by Ian being in the current day.

 

If Palpatine as we know him doesn't figure into the TROS narrative in a major way, then why hint at him in the teaser and have Ian McDiarmid himself walk out to a thunderously applauding Celebration audience?

 

I don't see why we wouldn't see Ian as Palpatine in present day. any talk of possession in general is pretty bold. so the idea of a sith ghost isn't out of bound.

Plus who would buy Matt smith coming on screen and being like I am palpatine!! without some kind of transition?

 

Exactly. If he were only to be a brief cameo of sorts, they most likely would've kept that secret. Not made a big deal about it as a featured point in the teaser/panel. He plays some important part in the climax of this film, I'm betting. Although I do not believe he appears in flesh and bone, but by some other means-whether it be holo projection or perhaps some sort of entity like we've seen in TCW.

 

I think it's still possible for Palps to have a small part in TROS despite the teaser trailer and the Celebration panel. What better way for them to drum up excitement for the upcoming film without revealing any crucial plot points? I mean, the teaser for TFA made Fin look like he was going to be our next Jedi. It may or may not be a big role, but I do think that Ian will have filmed something new for this final film in the saga- he's got too good a stage presence and his character was too involved in the past films to just use recordings or old footage. Since I believe that, logistically speaking it seems like he'd probably still appear as the post ROTS Sideous so that they can hide the actors age more effectively- either showing him as a holovid or some sort of darkside force ghost. I really, really can't see them taking any other actor and having that person "act" like Palps is possessing them, or trying to make them look like a young Sideous who has been reborn.

 

Hard to say. I'd kinda figure we might get him as both (physical and voice) in a recording/holo as you say, but honestly Ian could very well be voicing the "ghost/spirit" too, depending on how it's represented. Sure they'll be using Smith's voice doing an Ian impression when he's possessed, but the spirit form itself (assuming it has actual form and isn't just a vapor cloud or something, that'd be a little blahhh) seems like there's no reason it wouldn't be McDiarmid (or his likeness in CG form, whichever way they approach it).

 

I think Matt using his own voice would be better, especially if they’re going the ‘Palpatine possessed Snoke’ route.

 

Oh, sure it'll be Matt's voice in the bit where he's possessed. Doubt he'll just speak as he usually does though, it'll be channelling Ian's cadence and mannerisms and stuff, play up that it's Sheev speaking through him.

 

If Palpatine was just a small presence they wouldn't have brought Ian out on the Celebration stage. They wouldn't have ended the teaser with his laugh. They would have kept it a secret if its a small little thing like they did with Yoda. The launch of the marketing of this film was very Palpatine centric after all. And this Sith Trooper stuff just adds to it.

 

Eee-yup.

 

Unless it's just another bait and switch like they've done so many times before with ST marketing. The majority of the ST marketing has been just that, a bait and switch.

 

Luke spoke more in the TFA Official Teaser 2 than in TFA. Oddly, he sounds very sympathetic to Rey? Or is it Ben? That’s if we want to put a lot of thought into it.


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I never considered that. I like that.

 

To build hype, win fans back after TLJ, and to sell tickets.

I think Palpatine is a cameo, sorry. I just do. A vision or hologram or holocron or some combination of those three. On screen for less than 5 minutes. I'm not getting my hopes up for anything more.

 

Building hype isn't a bad thing, and having him in the trailer achieves that no matter how big or small his role might be. And nobody needs to be "won back", box office wise.

 

Regarding how Palpatine could possibly be back if Anakin balanced the Force, the full text of the Chosen One prophecy is in the novel "Master and Apprentice." In short, it says balance will be brought THROUGH the Chosen One, which isn't necessarily the same as by. The word by indicates a direct action, whereas through provides more indirect (like Anakin fathering Luke and Leia).

Basically, fine print.

 

Yep. People are taking the "Chosen One" thing way too literally.

The big picture is the Skywalkers as a family (ie. post-Anakin, Schmi's obviously important in a less direct sense, but the few following generations more direct) are the force's counteraction to Palpatine. The lion's share of the defeat coming at the hands of Anakin, ie. offing the physical form and really frickin' greatly throwing a huge monkey wrench into the works of history as far as Palpatine's plans. None of that is lessened by Palpatine's essence somehow surviving (something that's pretty heavily set up/paved the way for by the prequels anyway), it's just that the big picture of the prophecy is a whole rollercoaster ride of good/bad, light/dark, that eventually works out in the end. Anakin, and everything that comes later through Anakin.

Way too much tunnel-vision going on regarding that in the fandom.

 

Nah, if Palpatine was a cameo, then I think you save that for the film itself (like Maul in Solo). It's worth noting that in the teaser, Palpatine's laugh is the mic drop equivalent of "Chewie we're home" and "It's time for the Jedi to end."

 

I don't think that the people at Lucasfilm could possibly be so stupid to, after all the backlash they've gotten recently, deliberately mislead the fans in such a way that will cause backlash that might rival what they've gotten up to this point.

 

I tend to think Palpatine will have a big presence in the film, but not a lot of screen time. In other words, I think it'll be revealed that he somehow engineered the First Order, and influenced Ben, etc, thereby making Palps tremendously important to everything going on, but the amount of screen time will be kept to a minimum. I guess I mainly think that because of how Ian McDiarmid tried to taper fans' expectations about his role when he was interviewed at Celebration, and he even revealed that the laugh we hear in the trailer isn't from TROS.
If I'm wrong, great, I'll be pleasantly surprise to get more Palps than expected. But I'd prefer to go in with these expectations and be pleasantly surprised, rather than going in thinking he'll get tons of screentime, and then be disappointed.

Edit: Regarding the laugh... The fact that Ian says it wasn't from TROS makes me think we might not hear the classic Palpatine laugh in the film at all (otherwise, how would Ian know for sure if it was from TROS or from one of the previous films? He surely would have done multiple takes, and wouldn't remember how each one sounded.) And if we don't hear the laugh in TROS, that seems to indicate even more strongly that his role won't be huge.

 

I just can't see Palpatine being little more than a hologram recording. Sorry, but if that were the case, I think they would keep that under wraps and have it be a surprise for the movie (like Maul in Solo), rather than bring McDiarmid out on stage at the biggest SW event in front of thousands of fans to announce that he's in TROS.

Think about it. People would be ######, and royally so. Also, you've got KK saying it was always the plan to bring Palpatine back in Episode 9, they just weren't sure of the specifics, as well as Abrams saying they consulted with the Maker himself, plus all the fanfair surrounding it. For what? A hologram recording (or voice!)? Nah, doesn't seem right.

 

It's almost bound to be non-screentime-heavy, but importance-heavy, like Miasma said.

2 or 3 scenes, maybe one of those being a holo/recording, but the substance of it being really meaty to the story.

 

Ray Park was joking with Ian at Celebration on stage about being master and apprentice again, so who knows what the future holds.

One should never underestimate the power of a Dark Sider's hologram.

"Always two there are, no more, no less. A master and an apprentice.”

 

Another possibility is that Palpatine's visual design will be different and McDiarmid will be wearing a lot of prosthetic makeup. Maybe he'll be "super" Palpatine? I think he'll be central to the story, and I'm guessing Matt Smith is him, one way or another, not just a servant/apprentice.

I know people are very leery of the any time travel mechanics, but I could see them having some kind of scenario where Rey is able to witness the past or experience time as a singular moment where past present and future are all influencing each other simultaneously. Maybe that's where we'll see him, as a younger Palpatine?