A couple of days ago we brought you word that Ian McDiarmid might return as Emperor Palpatine in STAR WARS: EPISODE VII, and now Latino-Review has some interesting information about the rumor from a reliable source. Some of the details involve the possible plot (remember, none of this has been confirmed) for the new film, so if you want to avoid the spoilers, do not read past the picture of Emperor Palpatine and his dirty finger.
According to Latino-Review's source, Emperor Palpatine will return in STAR WARS: EPISODE VII. However, he will not be a clone (like in the STAR WARS Extended Universe), nor did he miraculously survive being tossed into a reactor shaft at the end of RETURN OF THE JEDI:
Palpatine comes back as a Force Ghost..like Obi Wan. (Sith Lords learned similar techniques, which in some cases allowed them to physically interact with their environment.)
That isn't that surprising, and many of you correctly guessed that this could be the case when the rumor was originally announced. This next part though (if true), reveals a little bit about why Palpatine might be back in STAR WARS: EPISODE VII:
Palpatine had a new apprentice before he got killed.
If Emperor Palpatine did train an apprentice before he died, will it be a new character or one previously introduced in the film (or comics)? How much will Palpatine be able to interact with the physical world? Will there be a Ghost Force battle between Palpatine and a Jedi? By the way, I'm only half-joking with that last one. If you've got a theory or speculation, feel free to share it below in the Strike Back.
Directed by J.J. Abrams, STAR WARS: EPISODE VII should be in theaters by 2015.