"Somehow, Palpatine returned." This Star Wars meme has become a symbol of fan discontent with the Emperor's return in The Rise of Skywalker. The revival of Palpatine, thought to be dead after Return of the Jedi, was met with significant backlash from the fanbase. However, Ian McDiarmid, who has portrayed Palpatine for over four decades, shared his thoughts on the controversy in an interview with Variety, celebrating the re-release of Revenge of the Sith, which has seen a remarkable box office performance.
McDiarmid dismissed the backlash, stating, "mine and Palpatine’s logic was entirely reasonable." He elaborated on Palpatine's contingency plan, suggesting that the character's foresight made his return plausible. "It seemed entirely probable that Palpatine had plan B," McDiarmid said, describing the fun he had filming in an "astral wheelchair" and the creative process behind the new, grotesque makeup design.
Addressing the criticism directly, McDiarmid remarked, "Well, there’s always something, isn’t there? I don’t read that stuff and I’m not online. So it’ll only reach me if someone mentions it. I thought there might be a bit of a fuss about bringing him back. But as I said, mine and Palpatine’s logic was entirely reasonable. This man who was horribly maimed thought maybe one day it might happen to him, and we’ve got to have a plan B. I loved the whole idea that he should come back and be even more powerful than he was before. Though this time, he had to be utterly destroyed. So I think he’s dead."
The Rise of Skywalker offers a somewhat nebulous explanation of Palpatine's return. Early in the film, Kylo Ren encounters a reanimated Palpatine, hinting that he did not survive his fall at the end of Return of the Jedi. McDiarmid's explanation aligns with the film's narrative, suggesting that Palpatine utilized ancient Sith magic, as he cryptically mentions in his monologue to Kylo Ren: "The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities that some would consider to be... unnatural."
Despite the explanation, many fans remain unconvinced and would prefer to ignore Palpatine's return altogether. The future of the Star Wars franchise will be intriguing to watch, especially with Daisy Ridley's Rey Skywalker set to appear in "several" upcoming films. Ridley is confirmed to star in a sequel directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, focusing on Rey's efforts to rebuild the Jedi Order 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker.
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