Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidiousactor Ian McDiarmid shockingly hinted thatStar Warswas considering a Palpatine TV show at one time, which would have addressed some major lingering questions inStar Warsmovies and TV shows. Palpatine is certainly one of the most interesting characters acrosstheStar Warstimeline. In fact, given his return inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, he’s actually come to dominate the Skywalker Saga—even though he was a late arrival in the original trilogy. Yet,there’s still so much we don’t know about Palpatine, especially beforeStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.
In an interview withVariety, Palpatine actor Ian McDiarmid was asked about a series focused on Palpatine’s backstory. His answer (both in terms of what he did say and what he didn’t) suggests this may have been more than just a rumor.
Variety:There was, at some point, supposed to be a series based around Palpatine. Was any of that backstory shared with you as part of the character’s mythology?
Ian McDiarmid: Just the story of Darth Plagueis the Wise. It’s fairly obvious that my character murdered Plagueis on his road to becoming Palpatine. But beyond that, no. With George, you didn’t discuss anything really. You turn up and you shoot. These films take a long time to make and the pressure is intense for many reasons; of course, George was at the forefront of all of that. So he had all of that to think about day by day. He takes a good deal of trouble over casting; but, once he’s cast, then he likes the actors to get on with it.
Although this isn’t quite outright confirmation,McDiarmid offering no contradiction to the notion that there was such a show in the works may subtly confirm this is the case, as does his lack of any surprise at the idea.
Palpatine’s Canon Backstory Remains A Mystery
Legends Provided So Much Information, But Star Wars Canon Hasn’t Followed Suit
As Ian McDiarmid indicated,all we really know about Palpatine’s story before the prequels is the story of Darth Plagueis the Wise and Palpatine’s role in Plagueis' death. At least, that’s the case forStar Warscanon. In Legends, Palpatine’s backstory was explored extensively, particularly in James Luceno’s novel,Star Wars: Darth Plagueis. As the title suggests, this book also provided considerably more insight into Plagueis’Star Warsstory. In canon, Plagueis has only had the briefest of appearances inThe Acolyteand was name-dropped inStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.
Purchase Star Wars: Darth Plagueis
While many enjoyed that book and the stories of Palpatine and Darth Plagueis contained within it,when Disney boughtStar Wars, that book joined the many, manyStar Warsstories that were no longer canon. Since then, there have been elements of Palpatine’s story that have contradictedDarth Plagueis, making it unlikely to remain fully canon.This would have made a Palpatine show particularly interesting, as it undoubtedly would have confirmed what remained canon and what didn’t, at least for the most part.
Our Take On Palpatine’s Backstory
This Is A Story Worth Knowing
Some may argue thatStar Warsneeds to move on from the characters who starred in the Skywalker Saga, and I think that argument is fair to a certain degree. However,I believe Palpatine’s backstory, including the canon story of Darth Plagueis, is a story worth telling on the screen. There’s still so much we don’t know about this master and apprentice duo that I think would be fascinating to see, including Plagueis' incredible powers to create life and stop death.
Yes, that would mean more focus on Palpatine, who has already been given plenty of screen time, but because the stories would be new, I think this would avoid feeling like overkill. Particularly because this would involve a deeper exploration of one ofStar Wars’most powerful Sith—one that we haven’t seen in real detail on screen before—I would personally be interested in such a show. Sadly, even with Ian McDiarmid seemingly hinting this may have once been a consideration, I think it’s unlikelyStar Warswill revisit a potentialEmperor Palpatine/Darth Sidiousshow now.
