Andy Serkis' elusive Supreme Leader Snoke may return to the Star Wars galaxy sooner than fans think.
Snoke's sudden death in Episode VIII: The Last Jedi was a shock to all, and Andy Serkis has opened up about how 'devastated' he was to have his role in the franchise cut short. Luckily, he made a surprise comeback in Andor as Kino Loy, giving him his first live-action role in the galaxy far, far away.
His role in the show became one of the most highly celebrated, which says a lot, given that it has become one of the finest Star Wars projects. Fans cite his prison breakout speech as one of the best Star Wars moments ever.
Now, despite the uncertainty surrounding the future of the fan-favorite Andor character, Serkis' foray into the galaxy is far from over. It seems the actor may be returning sooner than anticipated.
Is Snoke Likely to Return in Mando Season 3?
According to well-known leakers Making Star Wars, multiple sources pointed to Andy Serkis returning to the galaxy far, far away.
In October 2021, the same site broke the news that Serkis was making a live-action return through Andor, in which the actor's role used no motion capture.
The site claims that during the same period of gathering intel about Serkis' role in the show, several sources said he was also doing motion capture work. Considering Serkis' history in motion capture, it could be that the sources were mistaken or even biased.
However, during the same period when the sources believed that Serkis' was doing motion capture work, 'Foundry' - the working title given to The Mandalorian Season 3 - began to film in September 2021.
Other reports and speculation has continued to bolster the claim of Serkis' making another Star Wars comeback.
In The Mandalorian Season 2, Chapter 12, "The Siege," Din Djarin and his allies came across an Imperial lab on Nevarro with a cloning facility that appeared to have a clone of Snoke.
Of course, as the audience will know, the show has had a secondary emphasis on cloning - a theme that will likely come to the forefront now that Grogu and Din have reunited in The Book of Boba Fett.
Beyond this, a first look at the Praetorian guards from The Last Jedi was recently released.
These armored guards shielded Supreme Leader Snoke in Episode VIII and are now returning to protect series villain Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito).
Snoke Set for Huge Return
As Star Wars fans will know, the franchise has been teasing a hugely important cloning arc.
The concept was first introduced in Attack of the Clones when Obi-Wan Kenobi discovered the vast army being prepared on Kamino. The clone army then went on to have a crucial focus in the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars and, more recently, The Bad Batch.
At the end of The Bad Batch's first season, Kamoinoan scientist Nala Se was seen being taken into an Imperial cloning facility, presumably to aid the Imperial in their desire to learn how to clone effectively.
There have also been other teases in the publishing realm.
In 2021, Darth Vader issue #11 pointed to Luke Skywalker's severed hand being used for cloning, with Emperor Palpatine commenting that he could use it "to make anything."
However, perhaps the most high-profile cloning revolves around Palpatine's infamous return in The Rise of Skywalker, the revelation that Snoke was his creation, and the testing that clone engineer Dr. Pershing performed on Grogu.
It is sure to be a massive arc in stories to come. Snoke is set for a huge comeback as Emperor Palpatine attempts to perfect Kamionean cloning technology, resulting in Supreme Leader Snoke's creation.
The Mandalorian Season 3 premieres on Disney+ on March 1st.
