The Star Wars franchise has currently seen a downturn in its fortunes, with some of its recent projects produced under Kathleen Kennedy proving to be more misses than hits. A part of the reason for the franchise’s failure to connect with the audiences has been the shift towards female protagonists and female-driven stories.
However, back in the day, when George Lucas was still shaping the galaxy far, far away, he included a female version of the Emperor, which might surprise some fans. In one scene from The Empire Strikes Back, the Emperor later revealed to be Palpatine, was played by a female actress. Here is why this detail might interest Kathleen Kennedy.
The Emperor Was a Woman in One Scene of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
The Empire Strikes Back is the second installment to be released in the Star Wars franchise and had the task of doing some ambitious world-building for filmmaker George Lucas to expand the saga. The film marks the first appearance of Emperor Palpatine, who is revealed to be the one in charge of the Empire and serves as Darth Vader’s Sith Master.
While the Emperor appears very briefly in the movie, he is most prominently seen in a scene where he delivers a message in a holographic form. In this scene, the character was played by a female actress, likely since Lucas had not cast the actor who would play the part in the third installment. According to reports, actress Marjorie Eaton played the part in heavy makeup.
Elaine Baker had reportedly performed test shots for the character with Eaton appearing in the final cut. However, neither actress received a credit in the final film. Furthermore, the character was voiced by Clive Revill, making the Emperor sound like a man. As a result, it is safe to say that Lucas never intended for the character to be a female.
Kathleen Kennedy Might Want to Retcon The Emperor to Being a Woman in Star Wars
Eaton’s footage as the Emperor was eventually replaced for the DVD release of The Empire Strikes Back. Actor Ian McDiarmid played the role in Return of the Jedi, and his footage was used for the DVD release and every other subsequent re-release of the film. As a result, Eaton’s connection to the galaxy far far away remains a little-known fact.
However, given the recent approach under Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, this detail could end up changing the franchise’s fate. Since Disney acquired Lucasfilm from Lucas in 2012, Kennedy has launched several Star Wars projects, featuring female characters in prominent roles. Therefore, Kennedy might consider retconning the Emperor to being a female from the start.
Despite the criticism Kennedy faced for shifting the focus to female characters, the important lesson to learn here is that not everything needs to be about gender politics. If anything Lucas’ willingness to cast a female actress to play the Emperor, even if it was temporary, speaks about the franchise’s diversity when it comes to filling out the large ensemble of intriguing characters that inhabit the galaxy far far away.
The Star Wars movies and TV shows are streaming on Disney+.
