Is Matt Smith Actually In Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker?
1. So What's Actually Going On Here?
Even with a ton of evidence pointing to Smith's inclusion, there's always going to be a little doubt until we see the film in full.
The amount of times that rumours and pre-release leaks turn out to be fake is staggering (remember all that talk about Snoke's true identity and Rey's real parents?) and this could very well be another addition to the pile.
That being said, it's important to mention that director J.J. Abrams is a huge fan of "mystery boxes", and believes that preserving secrets will only increase audience enjoyment of his films. He's even pulled a casting fakeout like this before: we were told time and time again that Benedict Cumberbatch was not playing Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness, but guess who he ended up playing... yeah.
We should also touch on the possibility that Smith filmed some scenes which were subsequently cut. This would technically make Variety's initial report and Smith's denial true, while also explaining Grant's comments as mere uncertainty. This also happened with another Disney movie this year in Avengers: Endgame, where Katherine Langford had a hyped-up role, only to be absent from the final cut.
That being said - and foolishly optimistic as it might be - we do expect to see Smith in the film. Abrams' love of secrets, the Topps trading card, countless months of rumours and speculation... it's all too much and has to be leading somewhere, even if it's just a few scenes in the third act.
Plus, on top of everything we've discussed in this article, theatre listings have started to include Smith's name in their cast lists, and a number of sites - less credible than Variety, mind you - have, quite recently, remained adamant that he will appear. Not exactly confirmation of anything, but still, more fuel for the fire.
To wrap things up though, we'll say this again, because it's (annoyingly) true: we won't actually know what's going on here until opening weekend. Not too long to go!
-
What do you make of this story? Do you think Smith is in Episode IX, or not? Let us know in the comments section!