A former Time Lord might be headed far, far away, as Variety reports that Doctor Who and The Crown’s Matt Smith has been cast in a “key role” in Star Wars: Episode IX.
Smith joins recently reported Star Wars newcomers like Dominic Monaghan and Keri Russell among the cast of Episode IX. J.J. Abrams will return to close out the franchise’s sequel trilogy that began with his The Force Awakens in 2015, replacing Colin Trevorrow.
Details are still unconfirmed about the exact nature of Smith’s role, including which side of the Galactic Empire/Resistance divide he’ll fall on.
Science fiction fans might best know Smith for playing the bow-tied eleventh incarnation of the Doctor on BBC’s Doctor Who, but he’s currently up for an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his darker portrayal of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in the second season of Netflix’s The Crown. He will be replaced by Tobias Menzies in the series’ forthcoming third season, as it explores a later period in Prince Philip and the future Queen Elizabeth II’s lives.
Hopefully Smith gets to stick around for a bit longer in his undisclosed role in Star Wars: Episode IX, which is currently in production and set for release on Dec. 20, 2019.