"Somehow, Palpatine returned." This line has become the ultimate Star Wars meme, poking fun at the controversial return of Emperor Palpatine in The Rise of Skywalker. Many fans expressed their disappointment over his resurrection via cloning, especially after his supposed demise in Return of the Jedi. However, Ian McDiarmid, who has portrayed Palpatine for over four decades, had a different take on the backlash during an interview with Variety to mark the re-release of Revenge of the Sith in theaters, which saw a significant box office success.

McDiarmid dismissed the negative reactions, stating, “mine and Palpatine’s logic was entirely reasonable.” He elaborated, "It seemed entirely probable that Palpatine had plan B. Even though he was very, very badly damaged, he would be able to be put it together in some form. When I realized I had a sort of astral wheelchair, that was even better. I just had these four guys who whisked me around the studio; I can’t tell you how much fun that was. Daisy was more worried about that than anything else. And then, of course, we had to devise another makeup look, which was even more grotesque than the previous one."

Addressing the specific backlash to the Emperor's return, 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."

Every Upcoming Star Wars Movie and TV Show

View 23 ImagesIt seems unlikely that the core Star Wars fanbase will ever fully embrace Palpatine’s return in The Rise of Skywalker, with many preferring to ignore it altogether. It remains to be seen how future Star Wars films will address this. In November, it was reported that Daisy Ridley’s character, Rey Skywalker, would feature in "several" upcoming Star Wars films, being recognized as the franchise's "most valuable cinematic asset."

Ridley is confirmed to return in the Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy-directed sequel to The Rise of Skywalker, which will explore Rey's efforts to rebuild the Jedi Order approximately 15 years after the events of the film.