Emperor Palpatine Isn't the Only Surprise Return in The Rise of Skywalker?

The Rise of Skywalkeris reportedly going to feature another cameo from the originalStar Warstrilogy. Fans were stunned to hear Emperor Palpatine’s iconic laugh at the conclusion of the first teaser trailer for the upcoming movie. The seeds for a return of Palpatine have been planted many times over the years throughout a variety of different canon and non-canon materials, but this latest addition to the cast is rather surprising. There could be possible SPOILERS forThe Rise of Skywalkerbelow, so read ahead at your own risk.

According to sources close to Lucasfilm,Harrison Ford returned as Han SoloinThe Rise of Skywalkerfor a cameo. It is believed that the scene in question is between Kylo Ren and Solo, but Luke Skywalker also makes an appearance in said scene. It is believed the return is an “intervention of sorts,” and takes place as Ren is looking at the burnt out mask of Darth Vader. Sources say the scene has a tone of forgiveness and is telling Ren that it’s “not too late.”

Han Solo was killed by Kylo Ren in 2015’sThe Force Awakens, soStar Warsfans may be wondering how he could come back. According to sources, “He’s not a ‘Force Ghost’ in the classic sense.” Instead, he’s “part of a ‘vision’ or ‘dream-type’ moment induced byLuke Skywalker.” Skywalker does say “no one is ever really gone,” inThe Rise of Skywalkertrailer, so this could all make sense. However, this report is coming from anonymous sources, which means it has to go into the rumor pile for now, until it is officially confirmed.

If the return of Han Solo is true, it could give Mark Hamill the partial reunion he was hoping for inThe Force Awakens. Hamill wanted to seeLuke, Leia, and Han reunite on the big screen, even if it was for a brief amount of time. However, the actor’s ideas were shot down and his character wasn’t revealed until the final moments of the movie when he’s visited on Ahch-To by Rey. Seeing Han Solo show up inThe Rise of Skywalkerwould certainly be welcomed by fans, especially since it’s the last movie in the Skywalker saga and nobody ever expected Harrison Ford to get back into character.

We still have a long ways to go beforeThe Rise of Skywalkerhits theaters this year, so we can except a lot of speculation and rumor to be discussed. There has already been a ton of discussion about the title and what it could mean for the future of theStar Warsuniverse and what it means about the past. While this is a rumor, it is coming fromMaking Star Wars, which is generally pretty accurate in their reporting and scoops.The Rise of Skywalkerhits theaters on December 20th.