Matt Smith is nowhere to be found in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker; was he originally cast in a key role and then replaced late in production? Currently receiving a polarizing response from fans and critics, The Rise of Skywalker is certainly a divisive film, but it does at least provide plenty of information about the Star Wars universe. Perhaps the biggest revelation in The Rise of Skywalker is the reveal that Rey is actually the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine, and the character's parents left her on Jakku for protection, but were killed by a Sith assassin hired to track Rey down. This story is told very briefly via flashback scenes in which Rey's mother is played by Jodie Comer and her father by Billy Howle.
One figure that doesn't appear in these flashbacks, or indeed anywhere in The Rise of Skywalker, is Matt Smith. Best known as Doctor Who's Eleventh Doctor, Smith was widely reported as being cast in the sequel trilogy's closer from a very early stage and was constantly said to be attached to the project. Only when the finished film was released did it become clear that Smith wasn't actually present at all in the final cut. It's important to mention that Matt Smith did deny being cast in The Rise of Skywalker in interviews during 2019, but most fans took this as part of the traditional code of silence surrounding every Star Wars release. Turns out, he really wasn't in it.
But was that always the case? Since The Rise of Skywalker hit theaters, reports have suggested that some significant changes occurred to the plot during editing and, considering the upheaval caused by J. J. Abrams replacing Colin Trevorrow (who still gets a story credit), this was perhaps to be expected. Given the purported butchering that took place in the editing suite and the general sense of conviction everyone had that Matt Smith would be in The Rise of Skywalker, there's a possibility that he was cut from the film on the quiet. And if this is the case, the character he was most likely set to play would be that of Rey's father, Emperor Palpatine's very own son.
Smith was connected to The Rise of Skywalker a year prior to the movie's release, and his role was immediately linked to Palpatine in some way. Theories suggest a descendant of the Emperor, the new body of Palpatine himself or a younger version of the Sith renewed. Through the vast majority of the reports, the iconic pasty-faced Star Wars villain was the common thread. Furthermore, Rey's father has a shockingly small role in the The Rise of Skywalker. This is the son of the Emperor, after all, and there's so many questions that the latest Star Wars film fails to dig into. Was he Force-sensitive? How far did the Emperor try and corrupt him? Who was his mother?. If any character needed a larger role in The Rise of Skywalker (and there are a few contenders) it's the son of Palpatine.
Because of this, it perhaps follows that the Palpatine Jr. role might've been originally earmarked for a bigger-name actor, but when the role was reduced mid-way through production, having the Eleventh Doctor appear for a few seconds in a flashback would've been both a distraction and a clear indicator that some changes had taken place mid-way through production. To smooth over the alterations, Howle might've been brought in to shoot Rey's flashback scenes, with Smith removed entirely. Of course, cutting Smith wouldn't have been much hassle considering the flashbacks are relatively self-contained and removed from the main story and primary cast members. Of all possible reshoots, this would be an easy one, especially since losing Palpatine's son doesn't alter the course of the plot at all.
Adding further weight this theory, it's somewhat strange that Rey's mother is played by Jodie Comer, a fairly big name following her breakout role in Killing Eve. Unless Comer was cast in The Rise of Skywalker before becoming known to the mainstream, it's odd to have such a well-known actress in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it role, and this might be another indication that the story of Palpatine's son was originally more fleshed out in The Rise of Skywalker.