Oscar Isaac has revealed that his infamous Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker line was a last-minute addition to the movie. The 2019 closer to the sequel trilogy proved very divisive, with the line “somehow Palpatine returned” a particularly mocked moment.
Uttered by Isaac’s character Poe Dameron in an exasperated fashion, many fans have held it up to exemplify narrative issues with the movie, notably the controversial comeback of the thought-to-be-deceased villain.
Opening up about the dialogue while speaking to Josh Horowitz, the actor confirmed that it was added during reshoots, joking: “When I look at it, I’m like, ‘wig’s pretty good!’ I had cut my hair already.”
Lucasfilm/Disney
Related: Best streaming services
He then explained: “Yeah man, those are those surgical strikes where you come in and they’re like scrambling, trying to get everything going. That was obviously like a new addition at the end. So there was a lot of movement and flux throughout that whole thing.
“But had you asked me if at that moment if I thought that was going to be the line, I wouldn’t have known,” Isaac added, before joking: “I committed to the exasperation, that’s for sure!”
The Rise of Skywalker is the most-recent film in the series, the franchise putting a larger focus on TV in recent years with shows such as The Mandalorian and Andor.
However, Star Wars is returning to the big screen this year with The Mandalorian and Grogu, which will see Pedro Pascal’s titular character and his loveable sidekick defend the New Republic from Imperial warlords.
Disney
After that, the franchise is gearing up for big screen adventure Star Wars: Starfighter starring Ryan Gosling, while other upcoming films include a new project focused on Daisy Ridley’s Rey set 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker.
Meanwhile, Star Wars recently had a big shake-up behind the scenes, with Kathleen Kennedy stepping down as President of Lucasfilm after nearly 14 years as Chief Creative Officer. Dave Filoni was confirmed a new co-President alongside Lynwen Brennan.
Reacting to the news recently, Luke Skywalker actor Mark Hamill told USA Today he “can’t think of better hands” for the series, adding that Filoni knows Star Wars “so well” and that “[Creator] George [Lucas] was a mentor to Dave, so he knows George’s sensibility.”
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and the entire Skywalker Saga are streaming on Disney+ and also available to buy on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K. The Mandalorian and Grogu is released in cinemas on 22 May 2026.
Read more Star Wars news on our dedicated homepage
The new edition of Living Legends, a 100-page all-colour celebration of Sir David Attenborough, is here! Buy Sir David Attenborough in newsagents or online.
Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every ‘t’ and dotting every ‘i’ as a sub-editor.