Warning: The following article contains a spoiler for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker that was revealed at the end of the teaser trailer.
Disney and Lucasfilm finally debuted the teaser for
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker at Star Wars Celebration this weekend, blowing fans away with an amazing twist at the end of the trailer: the return of Palpatine.
His ominous laugh at the end of the teaser threw everyone for a loop, but according to Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, the iconic villain's return in
The Rise of Skywalker was always part of the studio's plan.
“This has been in the blueprint for a long time, yeah. We had not landed on exactly how we might do that, but yes, it was always [to be in Episode IX]," Kennedy told Yahoo Entertainment's Kevin Polowy. While Ian McDiarmid's return was a surprise for everyone, the fact that the latest trilogy actually did have an overall vision and that Palpatine was always part of the plan is an equally fascinating revelation - especially given
director J.J. Abrams' recent comments.
Speaking of Abrams, he was shocked that they were able to keep Palpatine's return a mystery up until the trailer debuted. The director called working with Ian "among the most wonderful experiences I ever had," referring to him as a "breathtakingly good actor."
Palpatine's role in the film isn't the only mystery fans have been left with after Star Wars Celebration. The title of the movie itself provides a ton of intrigue. Kennedy also commented on the title,
The Rise of Skywalker, and what it means to the trilogy and franchise as a whole.
“I think ‘The Rise of Skywalker’, it doesn’t answer anything. it’s provocative, it asks questions, and it could mean a lot of different things and I think that’s what was important to us. We didn’t want to have a title that felt like it was telling you the story. At the same time, it needs to feel emotional, which is a challenge to try to figure out what that might be. And I think the word Skywalker, it’s captured all 40 years of what’s gone before."
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters December 20 of this year. Let the speculation begin!