After being cut from the sequel trilogy in the late 2010s, one major actor has finally been recast in a new Star Wars role. House of the Dragon and Doctor Who star Matt Smith has been confirmed to have joined Shawn Levy's upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter movie, alongside fellow stars Ryan Gosling and Mia Goth (who is also supposedly set to play a role in Marvel Studios' Blade). However, this is not the first time Smith has been cast in a Star Wars project. The former Morbius star was previously set to play an undisclosed role in Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker, but was ultimately cut. Smith's specific Star Wars role was not revealed then, but it has since come out that he was reportedly playing a younger version of Ian McDiarmid's Emperor Palpatine. While Smith's role in Rise of Skywalker eventually hit the cutting room floor, as that movie pivoted focus mid-development, the actor has been recast in another role in the Star Wars universe. Read full article on The Direct.