Rumor: Ian McDiarmid to Return in Star Wars: Episode 7? A Major Lucasfilm Announcement Coming Soon.

We didn’t have any Star Wars: Episode 7 related news at Disney’s D23 Expo so here’s something to bring you back on track – the latest Episode 7 cast rumor…

According to the site Jedi News:
“An unnamed source has informed us that Ian McDiarmid is set to return to the galaxy far, far away for a part in Episode VII.
The specifics of the role are unclear, but it seems likely that McDiarmid will be returning to his signature role of Palpatine. Whether as the original or a clone of, we are yet to discern.”
The way the info is written first suggests that McDiarmid will have a different role in the new trilogy. I highly doubt that. 
More likely he may be featured in a flashback scene or as the ghost of Emperor Palpatine. Also in some SW novels there is indeed a clone of the emperor so there are plenty of possibilities. 
We just have to wait for Lucasfilm’s official word about the so called “returning cast”. Until then everything is just a wild speculation.

Speaking about Jedi News, a few days ago they also published this:

  
“A huge story has hit our desks here at Jedi News. We are working hard to confirm the details but we understand that Lucasfilm are gearing up for a major Episode VII announcement which may go a long way towards satisfying those disappointed by the lack of reveals at San Diego Comic Con, Celebration Europe and the D23 Expo.”

So let’s wait and see. 


UPDATE!

Now according to Latino Review:


Palpatine comes back as a Force Ghost..like Obi Wan. (Sith Lords learned similar techniques, which in some cases allowed them to physically interact with their environment.)Palpatine will not be a clone, not in human form.Palpatine had a new apprentice before he got killed.

I personally doubt that anyone else beside J.J. Abrams, Kathleen Kennedy and Michael Arndt knows anything about Episode 7’s story. Still this sounds interesting. Especially the part with the new apprentice.

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24 thoughts on “Rumor: Ian McDiarmid to Return in Star Wars: Episode 7? A Major Lucasfilm Announcement Coming Soon.

  • August 12, 2013 at 12:29 pm
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    If he does return, I hope as a ghost or maybe somehow as a clone, althow I’m not really found of the clone idea.

    but like you say… rumour & speculation,
    some also forget officially there are no actors confirmed so far.

    • August 15, 2013 at 1:42 pm
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      I hope Chewbacca or other wookies, Darth Vader, Yoda and darth maul are back too…. this is what will turn fans crazy. Most iconic characters are Vader and Yoda. No Vader no Star Wars. No Yoda no star wars.

    • September 10, 2013 at 11:27 pm
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      speaking of clones i heard starkiller will apeer in this

  • August 12, 2013 at 12:36 pm
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    Star Wars never had flashback scenes. Lucas had even addressed this. Even though he is not at the helm I doubt Abrams will use flashbacks. There are many directions they could go. However I Think the only way around the flashback rule with star wars will be set ups from the spin off films, especially if they take place before any given new episodes. This I expect will happen.

  • August 12, 2013 at 12:53 pm
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    There are many directions they could go with the Sith. For example, The LOST TWENTY-ONE I always believed was a set up for more star wars films/projects because it was presented lose and vague, even in regards to the rule of two. Also Sifo-Dyas was never truly explained. In an early draft of star wars there was a ship of frozen sith lords referred to as The missing one hundred. That kind of situation would could spread many sith among the galaxy, yet that seed was not planted. But being that everything will be new it is only going take one pissed-off Jedi to bring it all back.

  • August 12, 2013 at 1:01 pm
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    Considering he was the best performance in the entire prequel trilogy… I find this news not unpleasant. If he truly is apart of it, I’m sure the new writers will use him to good effect.

    Hopefully!

  • August 12, 2013 at 3:16 pm
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    Palapatine/Darth Sidious will return only as a Sith holocron gatekeeper…

  • August 12, 2013 at 5:43 pm
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    Having Palpatine return as a ghost guiding new Sith much in the same way Obi-Wan returned as a ghost would be a pretty good idea.

    Palpatine coming back as a clone or the original, not so much.

  • August 12, 2013 at 6:17 pm
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    I love Ian’s work as Emperor and senator and Chancellor in ep. VI, I, II and III, but I think it has no sense at all to bring us the Emperor again in ep. VII.

    By the way rumours are going and coming we would expect Jabba the Hutt returning 😛

  • August 12, 2013 at 7:55 pm
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    “Flogging a dead horse” and “let sleeping dogs lie” are two phrases that come to mind with this whole new trilogy idea.
    The original trilogy can never be beat. The prequel Trilogy was a big let down, the sequel trilogy is doomed, the original cast are too old and fat and making this new trilogy will tarnish the memory of the originals.
    The original trilogy had closure and should be left well alone.
    The original cast should have more respect instead of thinking of the big fat pay cheques that they will get out of this if they return.

    Disney and Lucasfilm should just stick with the standalone spinoff movies, that is a much better idea.

    • August 14, 2013 at 6:17 pm
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      thats your opinion. Others think different. Can the original trilogy be beat? No. Agreed there, but the prequels were OK. Not great but any stretch, but they were decent movies other than HC. (I don’t think they could of picked a worse actor). However, with Arndt’s writing talent and Abrams at the helm, I think we are going to get a very good movie, that delivers on the feel of the originals.

      (By the way – Disney has hooked up all the original actors with Personal Trainers to get them back into shape for the movie according to rumors.)

  • August 15, 2013 at 10:47 am
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    Sound ok but we want Darth Vader back. As clone or whatever.The clone won’t have any of the physical flaws that Annakin had it will be a perfect superior version of Vader with enhanced powers and new technology.They more or less have to do this, without Vader it’s not really a Star Wars movie.

  • August 15, 2013 at 2:17 pm
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    IMHO this would be a mistake. If they want to have Palpatine come back as a hologram/holocron, that’d be one thing. But from the very beginning the “Force Ghost” thing has been set up to be something tied to the good side of the Force.

    Vader was clearly taken aback when Obi Wan disappeared in the original movie, implying that whatever this was it wasn’t anything he was familiar with. Then at the end of ROTJ, Vader’s last-minute appearance as a ghost was done in such a way that it seemed to be the final confirmation to Luke that he had indeed succeeded in bringing his father back from the dark side. There’s a definite pattern there.

    If it’s turned into something that even Palpatine can do, IMHO it cheapens the whole thing quite a bit. I really hope that if they are indeed writing Palpatine into the new movie somehow, they come up with some other way of justifying it.

    Just my two cents as yet another anonymous poster. 😉

    • August 15, 2013 at 2:49 pm
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      I think the whole Palpatine thing is because “the new apprentice”! That is the big news here.

      Star wars is Darth Vader. Best character EVER! After that was darth maul and now i guess they want one more cool fan favoritte character of the dark side. Hope this time he turn to good side of the Force! But still please bring back Darth Vader!

    • August 18, 2013 at 8:21 pm
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      I don’t think that there was anything that specifically tied force ghosts to Jedi or the good side. Remember, even with the prequels we still don’t know very much about the Sith. They’re very much still a mystery for the most part. But we do know that Sith can use lightsabers, have similar Jedi like powers such as telekinesis and so forth, so I don’t see why they wouldn’t also have a parallel ability to come back as a force ghosts.

      I just hope they don’t overdo it with the force ghosts and have everyone who’s ever died in the franchise come back. Things could get a bit crowded.

  • August 16, 2013 at 1:11 pm
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    they havent got much choices for episodevII. option one the emporer had a secret apprentice. option two darth maul survived and th emporer was secretly teaching him or option three the emporer comes back as a ghost. and i think all the original cast should be in it oviesly their going to make new chareters

    • August 21, 2013 at 3:34 am
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      Darth Maul returning is almost a certainty. The didnt spend so much effort to revive him just to do nothing about it. Palpatine freezes him to be revived in the event the sith are destroyed. Palpatine’s role will be a recording with instructions for Maul to follow. Coukd also be force ghost. The sith have been known to materialize in areas where the dark side is strong…like Korriban? How cool would that be?

  • August 17, 2013 at 5:28 am
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    Bringing palpatine back would be a huge mistake….it would mean that Vader died for nothing….Anakin was NOT the chosen one, and the prophecy of the chosen one bringing balance to the Force was not fulfilled. Lucas said “himself” that when Vader sacrificed himself to kill the Emperor, that the prophecy was fulfilled. bringing the Emperor back would be a HUGE middle finger to the original trilogy’s and a slap to the fans faces….I HIGHLY doubt Palpatine would be back for anything other than a halocron or force ghost.

    • August 21, 2013 at 3:37 am
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      He is not coming back. His role will be that of a guide. Recordings, force apparition… Dont you think the Emperor would have prepared in the event he is defeated?

  • August 18, 2013 at 9:44 pm
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    Hard to replace the Emperor- such a classic villain. I think he should still be there in some way.

  • August 18, 2013 at 11:28 pm
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    Right, anything else than a Force Ghost of the Emperor would be definitely completely wrong! And even that is questionable …

  • August 20, 2013 at 2:16 am
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    Force ghost, Schmorst ghost! The force ghost idea is naff, I liked the clone emperor from the Dark Horse comics, it did actually make sense, given that it was palpatines plan all along to create the clones, obviously he knew wht he was doing all along!
    Leave vader dead, since he’s passed over and rejoined the lightside. What’s needed is a new bad ass sith villain to take his place, not Darth Maul (even so in the clone wars cartoon/animation he ended up submitting to Sidious again after the whole failed Mandalore takeover, so we know in the canon, he could well be still around!)
    We need new characters for this one, sure a few old ones for continuity (not like the ridiculous chewbacca/yoda crap from ep3, yikes!!) are ok, but lets face it, a reboot is needed bigstyle as they aint never going to capture the original’s buzz, and apart from a couple of decent things out of the prequels, they need to forget about most of that.

    • August 21, 2013 at 3:42 am
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      Clones at some point stop being produced. In any case, no clones. Pointless. Emperor will reappear as a ghost on Korriban where the dark side is strong. There are plenty of sith reappearing on the sith homeworld.

  • August 29, 2013 at 5:06 pm
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    odds are they will take the story to 15 -30 years after return of the jedi w/ the solo kids as the main focus

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