George Lucas Pitched a 'Hitler-Like' Palpatine Series, Ian McDiarmid Reveals

Ian McDiarmid, the iconic actor behind Emperor Palpatine, just dropped a bombshell: George Lucas once planned a terrifyingly dark Palpatine TV series. Before the Lucasfilm sale to Disney in 2012, Lucas envisioned a standalone show charting the villain's rise to power. McDiarmid revealed the shocking detail at a recent Star Wars panel.

Lucas’s pitch wasn't subtle. He wanted to parallel Palpatine’s ascent with that of a "20th century dictator, like Hitler." The series would explore the Emperor's calculated manipulation, complete with failed assassination attempts. McDiarmid, clearly thrilled by the idea, even recounted Lucas offering him a directing gig. Imagine: Palpatine, the ultimate puppeteer, dissecting his own origins.

This vision was part of Lucas's broader, pre-Disney plans, which included his own Episode VII-IX concepts and the famously gritty Star Wars: Underworld TV series. Could this Palpatine story have been an arc within Underworld? Fans have long speculated about Lucas's original trajectory for the saga. This scrapped series paints a picture of a far darker, politically charged Star Wars, a stark contrast to what we've seen since. It's a tantalizing glimpse into a path not taken for the galaxy far, far away.