Ian McDiarmid may have been coy about his possible return in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” but Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has confirmed that they have been discussing Palpatine’s return for some time. In a recent interview, she talked about the Emperor and some of the other projects they are planning after “Episode 9.”

The Emperor’s evil laugh in the “Star Wars: Episode 9” teaser trailer is arguably the biggest moment of the video. In an interview with MTV, Kennedy confirmed that they have been speaking about Palpatine’s return even while they were making “The Force Awakens,” which is the first film in the sequel trilogy.

Kennedy also spoke about the new “Star Wars” projects that they are developing. She confirmed that they have talking about making something related to the popular game “Star Wars: The Old Republic.” However, she explained that since “Solo” did not perform well at the box office, they are being cautious about releasing two movies in a year.

Meanwhile, director JJ Abrams said in an interview with MTV that his job with “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” was to make sure that it can be a standalone movie and that it ends not just the sequel trilogy but also the nine films in the Skywalker saga.

Abrams confirmed that there are many questions that the upcoming film has to answer, but he pointed out that the emphasis had to be on telling a story and giving the fans a conclusion. He explained that they were not looking to demystify everything in the film. It remains to be seen if the title is about Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) or if it is somehow connected to Rey (Daisy Ridley), whose backstory is still a bit of a mystery.

As far as the Emperor is concerned, it remains to be seen if he will return in the form of a Force Ghost in “Star Wars: Episode 9.” In an interview during the Celebration event, McDiarmid had asked fans not to take the teaser trailer too seriously, which means his character may not have a physical presence in the film.

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