From the word jump, it was believed that Matt Smith had a prominent role in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. But then it was revealed by the actor himself that he wasn't actually in the movie. Many believed he was playing a young Emperor Palpatine, and that his role was being kept super secret. A new image has arrived from the sequel before tonight's big trailer launch. And many believe that it shows Matt Smith's true character. And it isn't Sheev Palpatine.

In actuality, after looking at the image, there is still some mystery surrounding this strange blue alien. Nothing is known about him, other than he wears a funky space hat and breathing apparatus, as do some other prominent beings in the Star Wars galaxy. Matt Smith has denied vehemently that he even appears in J.J. Abram's saga ending finale. But some fans believe the truth lies within this latest leaked image.

The photo in question comes from a Topps trading card. A set featuring old and new characters is being released before the movie hits theaters. And they won't contain any spoilers just yet. Doctor Who experts believe this scaly alien bares a striking resemblance to Matt Smith. It's all in the eyes. Smith, on the other hand, had this to say after Variety reported that he'd won a role in the movie.

"As far as I know, I'm not (in it]."

Matt Smith was announced alongside other new cast members that include Richard E. Grant, Keri Russell and Dominic Monaghan, all of whom's characters have since been revealed. No one from Disney nor Lucasfilm is admitting that the blue alien in question is actually Matt Smith. But the Topps trading card sure has caused some excitement on Twitter. One fan even exclaimed, "MATT SMITH IS REALLY IN THE MOVIE OMGGGGG IM SO HAPPY!" Though they are only taking an educated guess about what they're really looking at.

Heck, we could simply be looking at the next Constable Zuvio for all we know. That character was heavily promoted in the lead up to The Force Awakens, appearing in quite a few advanced production stills, and getting several action figures only to wind up on the cutting room floor. Matt Smith may actually be this blue alien, but perhaps he already knows he's been cut out of the movie?

The final Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker trailer is dropping tonight during a big NFL game on ABC. This will be the last big sneak peek we get at the movie until December 16. Perhaps this blue guy will show at some point in this impeding footage. Or maybe this is just one of the wayward aliens who pops up in the background of a scene and gets a few seconds of screen time. That seems to more than likely be the case. But it sure is fun to speculate. The trading card was first revealed by RogueWN on Twitter.