Ian McDiarmid explains Palpatine's sudden return, clarifies that Palpatine has sex

Ian McDiarmid has played Emperor Palpatine, the shadowy figure behind most of bad things to happen in the Star Wars universe, for decades, across three different film trilogies. Palpatine rose to power in the prequel trilogy, ruled with an iron fist in the original trilogy, and "somehow" returned in 2019's The Rise of Skywalker, despite Darth Vader having thrown him down a big sci-fi pit way back in 1983's Return of the Jedi.

A lot of fans rolled their eyes when Palatine came back. McDiarmid gets where they're coming from, but thinks you can make it work. “Of course, he was dead at the end ofReturn Of The Jedi!" the 79-year-old actor told Empire. "And frankly, I think George [Lucas] thought he’d killed me too. But [The Rise of Skywalker director J.J. Abrams] thought it would be a good idea – I wasn’t going to argue with him.”

"I felt that Palpatine always had a plan B – probably a plan C, D, E, and F as well,” McDiarmid reasons. “And he was an expert in cloning, so…"

Indeed, while Palpatine does come back in The Rise of Skywalker, it might not literally be the same version of Palpatine who got tossed down that shaft in Return of the Jedi. McDiarmid is right that Palpatine was an expert in cloning. That also could help explain how Rey, the hero of the Star Wars sequel trilogy played by Daisy Ridley, could be Palpatine's granddaughter. Perhaps her father was the result of a cloning experiment...or maybe Palpatine just gets down. Don't you judge.

“[Y]es, he does [have sex]," McDiarmid confirmed. "It’s a horrible idea to think of Palpatine having sex in any shape or form. But then, of course, perhaps he didn’t...Maybe it’s all to do with midi-chlorians – and don’t ask me what those are.”

Rey is coming back in a new solo film, so maybe that will answer some of these questions, or else raise new ones. “The thing that I’m most pleased about, and you know, this only came to a head when they asked me to come back forThe Rise Of Skywalker, is that every single evil act in all of theStar Wars franchise is either directly or indirectly down to that character,” McDiarmid continued. “That is total evil, and that’s strangely satisfying as an arc. I do feel fortunate to have been able to do it – and other villains of cinema now have to compete with that.”

Samuel L. Jackson would love to be in a Mace Windu series

Speaking of Star Wars characters coming back from the dead, Samuel L. Jackson — who played Jedi master Mace Windu in the prequel trilogy — isn't giving up on his character. “HE’S NOT DEAD!!!” Jackson assured Empire.

This is despite Windu getting flung from a million-story-high window in 2005's Revenge of the Sith, by Palpatine, as it happens. But if Palpatine can come back, there's no stopping anyone. "Somehow, Mace Windu returned. Jackson sounds enthusiastic about potentially getting his own Disne+ series. “EVERYTHING YES!!”

No, Pedro Pascal isn't getting recast for The Mandalorian & Grogu

But we have no idea if such a series is coming. However, we do know that Lucasfilm is working on The Mandalorian & Grogu, a movie version of the TV show The Mandalorian, starring Pedro pascal in the title role.

The role is unique in that the character's face is covered up most of the time. Sometimes, Pascal isn't even in the suit; a stuntperson takes over. Theoretically, they don't need to have him on set at all,. During an interview with the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, he was asked whether he might get recast for the movie, and responded quickly with “No” before adding, “God, I hope not!”

Obviously, they won't recast such an important part of The Mandalorian franchise. Then again, Pascal will be awfully busy over the next couple of years...

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