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Is Matt Smith in Star Wars?

Is Matt Smith in Star Wars? The former Doctor has made a splash after appearing in House of the Dragon but did you know he was nearly in a galaxy far, far away

Is Matt Smith in Star Wars? Matt smith in Doctor Who

Matt Smith made his name on the sci-fi series Doctor Who, where he played the lovable if slightly befuddled Eleventh Doctor. Since then, he’s had a smattering of film appearances – including one in the superhero movie Morbius (yuck) –  but despite his immense talents as an actor, he’s never really found a project worthy of him.

So it’s a delight to see him in the new HBO TV series House of the Dragon, where he plays the brutal bastard (not in the literal sense) Daemon Targaryen. Daemon couldn’t be further from the Doctor. He’s a cruel man with a thirst for power, and Smith plays him with a frenzied glee that couldn’t be more entertaining to watch.

Smith’s incredible turn in the fantasy series has got fans combing through his filmography, and it’s turned up something interesting – Smith was apparently in Star Wars, but he wasn’t, was he? Well, honestly, that’s a more difficult question to answer than you might think. So is Matt Smith in Star Wars?

Is Matt Smith in Star Wars?

No, Matt Smith isn’t in Star Wars, but that’s only half the answer. There were rumours back before the release of Rise of Skywalker that Smith was going to appear in the Star Wars movie.

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Disney actually listed Smith as a cast member on the UK Disney website, and Richard E. Grant actually mentioned he’d be fired if he mentioned who Smith was playing. So it seems at one point Smith was supposed to be in the science fiction movie, so what happened?

Is Matt Smith in Star Wars? Matt smith in Doctor Who

Why was Matt Smith cut from Star Wars?

Matt Smith’s role was cut from Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker, and his name disappeared from the official cast list relatively early in production. Speaking to IGN, Smith explained what happened.

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“We were close to me being in it, but then it just never quite happened,” Smith said. “I think the thing they were thinking of me for eventually, the part became obsolete, and they didn’t need it, and so I never got to be in Star Wars.”

Is Matt Smith in Star Wars? Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon

Who would Matt Smith have played in Star Wars?

Smith’s never revealed what Star Wars character he was going to play, although there were rumours he was going to play Emperor Palpatine‘s son.

“I could not possibly say (if it was Palpatine’s son), but it was a pretty groovy thing,” Smith told IGN. “It was a pretty groovy part and concept like a big story detail like a transformative Star Wars story detail, but it never quite got over the line.”

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According to Comicbook.com, whoever Smith played would end up possessed by Palpatine’s spirit and become a Star Wars villain who would do battle with Rey in a climactic final lightsaber battle. Honestly, though, we’ll probably never know the truth.

If you want to know more about a galaxy far, far away, check out our list of the best Star Wars series or dive into the Andor season 2 release date guide.