Longtime Star Wars actor Ian McDiarmid recently shared new details about a cancelled television project once envisioned by George Lucas. The series, which was discussed before the 2012 acquisition of the franchise by Disney, would have taken the saga in a significantly darker direction.
Exploring the Rise of the Emperor
During a panel at Spacecon 2026, McDiarmid revealed that Lucas approached him with a concept that would have tracked the political and personal ascent of Emperor Palpatine. The actor noted that Lucas compared the narrative trajectory to the rise of historical figures, aiming to show the calculated progression of the character into the ruler of the Empire. The proposed series would have included an assassination attempt on the future Emperor, which ultimately would have failed.
McDiarmid also mentioned that Lucas had expressed interest in having him direct an episode of the project. While the series never moved forward, it remains a fascinating look at what might have been for the franchise during the era between the prequel and original trilogies.
Context for the Lost Series
The period between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope has been heavily explored in recent years through various projects, including Rogue One and Andor. It is widely believed that the project McDiarmid described may have been related to the long-rumored Star Wars: Underworld series, which was intended to focus on a new cast of characters within the criminal underworld of the galaxy.
While this specific vision from Lucas never materialized, the character of Palpatine continued to be a central figure in the franchise, eventually returning in The Rise of Skywalker. Fans interested in revisiting the current Star Wars library can find all films and series available on Disney+.
Source: ComingSoon.net
