After playing the beloved MCU character Loki for over a decade, actor Tom Hiddleston is eyeing an antagonistic character in the extensive Star Wars saga. The actor has long been fan-cast as the young Palpatine, aka Darth Sidious, in the epic space opera. Portrayed by Ian McDiarmid in the prequel trilogy, the character has been a key figure in all the trilogies.
Given the persistent fan interest in seeing Hiddleston tackle this role, the actor has expressed his enthusiasm for the idea, stating that he would appreciate the opportunity to become part of the legendary galactic saga.
Tom Hiddleston on Playing Young Palpatine in Star Wars
In a recent conversation with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, actor Tom Hiddleston shared his preference for Star Wars over Star Trek. It prompted the host to ask him about being fan-cast as Palpatine and if he would be interested in joining the franchise.
Hiddleston, who was surprised to learn about the fan casting, said that he didn’t realize he was being cast as a young Palpatine and thought, “Maybe I need to get a little older for that.” However, he seemed quite enthusiastic when asked whether he would prefer playing a Jedi or an antagonistic character in the space opera.
“I don’t know,” he said as he shared that he would be open to any potential prospects, describing it as an incredible opportunity. “I’d be I’m open to all of it,” he said before adding, “What an amazing thing to be a part of.”
While the studio doesn’t seem to have any plans to explore the story of a young Palpatine as of now, if they do, Hiddleston’s involvement in such an origin story could be intriguing. Any such progress remains uncertain for now.
However, with the franchise exploring new stories with the prequel series like The Acolyte, which is set nearly 100 years before Episode I, they might also consider delving into Palpatine’s journey to becoming Darth Sidious in the future.
Ian McDiarmid on Delving into Palpatine’s Transformation into Darth Sidious
Actor Ian McDiarmid, who took on the role of the dark lord in the Star Wars saga, reacted to the rumors, prompted by Tom Hiddleston’s fan casting. And he shared an exciting response to rumors surrounding a series exploring Palpatine’s transformation in Darth Sidious.
“I think it’s a very good rumor,” he said at a panel at Star Wars Celebration in 2022. The 79-year-old actor shared that it would be compelling to explore Sheev Palpatine’s journey and the factors that led him to embrace the dark side of the Force.
I think you could do that with practically any of the characters to whom it has not been done already. We saw [Palpatine] rise when he was 50, didn’t we? What did he go through to get there, and how did Sidious come about?
“I think all of that is very interesting,” he said before adding, “It would be great.” While he shared that any younger actors would be more suited to play the young Palpatine, he also suggested that age might not be a barrier with the modern technology in hand for filmmaking.
However, the de-aged characters in Star Wars and other franchises, such as Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones, have not been received well. And it would be much more appropriate to cast a younger actor as the young Palpatine, with an intriguing exploration of what led him down the path of darkness.
The Acolyte is available to stream on Disney+.
