Matt Smith may not be in Star Wars Episode 9 after all. Following an announcement that he's going to to be in the final trilogy, the actor has recently come out to deny that he has worked on the film.
Smith told an L.A. Times reporter in a sit-down interview last Thursday, March 7, that he's not on Star Wars Episode 9. But in August 2018, Variety announced that Smith has joined the cast for a still undisclosed role.
Rumors suggested that Smith could be playing a younger Emperor Palpatine or another commander in General Hux's ranks in Star Wars Episode 9. However, other talks also implied that Smith might play a member of the Knights of Ren as this group will apparently figure heavily in the upcoming film's storyline.
Curiously, Disney has not confirmed Smith's casting despite the report from Variety, a legitimate agency. But it's also not the first time an actor has denied his participation in a Star Wars franchise only to come out admitting he is really a part of it.
Pedro Pascal, for example, had his representatives denying he's involved in The Mandalorian, an upcoming Star Wars spinoff for Disney's streaming platform. Weeks later, however, Disney officially announced that he's leading the cast of the series.
It's also not unusual for the people behind Star Wars to throw off the fans given the franchise's popularity. The secrecy could keep them guessing and build up their excitement for the final movie, which will be coming on the big screen on Dec. 20, 2019.
Meanwhile, Star Wars Episode 9 officially finished filming last February. Director J.J. Abrams announced the end of principal photography in London by thanking the cast and crew on Twitter. Production will now move on to the editing room where the movie will be completed.
Star Wars Episode 9 will see the major players returning, such as Daisy Ridley (as Rey), John Boyega (as Finn), Oscar Issac (as Poe) and Adam Driver (as Kylo Ren). Keri Russell and Richard E. Grant have also joined the film as new characters.
Disney screened some footage of Star Wars Episode 9 during its regular shareholders' meeting. Reports from Comic Book stated that one of the clips showed Darth Vader's helmet, which was last seen in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
The rest of the clips also highlighted the crew of Rey, Poe, Finn and Chewie inside the Millenium Falcon. There was also a glimpse of Lando Carlrissian (played by Billy Dee Williams), which Disney confirmed was actually returning.
