Ever since news dropped about Smith’s potential casting in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, fans have speculated on who he would be portraying. No one has ever confirmed who Smith would be playing, but many fans assumed he would be portraying a clone of Emperor Palpatine, i.e his “son.” Even though Smith is careful not to reveal too much information about the role, (he’s probably signed a lot of NDA’s at this point) he does reveal that it was indeed a pretty seismic one, rather than a small cameo or supporting character.

RELATED: Darth Maul Animated Star Wars Series Rumored To Be In Development

In an interview with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Smith said, “We were close to me being in it and then it never quite happened. I think the thing they were thinking of me for, eventually it became obsolete and they didn’t need it, and so, I never got to be in ‘Star Wars,’ there we are.” Horowitz then asked Smith if he was up for the part of Palpatine’s son, to which Smith said, “I could not possibly say, but it was a pretty groovy thing, it was a really groovy part and concept. It was a big thing, it was a big story detail, a transformative ‘Star Wars’ story detail and it never got quite over the line.”

Sadly, fans may never know who exactly Smith was going to play in The Rise of Skywalker, however, as Horowitz points out in the interview, this means Smith could still appear in a future Star Wars property. Palpatine’s “son” did appear in the Rise of Skywalker in a brief flashback where he was portrayed by British actor Billy Howle. He was revealed to be Rey’s father, who was killed along with her mother (Jodie Comer) after they tried to hide her from her evil grandfather.

It’s possible that the role of Palpatine’s son was reduced for the final version of the Star Wars script, and as a result, a lesser-known actor was cast in the role. It’s also possible that Smith was playing a completely different character, one who could still appear in the franchise. In the meantime, you can catch Smith in Edgar Wright’s 1960s thriller Last Night in Soho and in the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon.

You can watch Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker streaming on Disney Plus.

MORE: Star Wars: The Last Jedi Had A Perfect Sequel Setup (And Rise Of Skywalker Ignored It)

Source: Josh Horowitz | Twitter