Back in August, it was reported that Matt Smith had been cast in a "key role" in Star Wars: Episode IX, and understandably the internet got very excited indeed.

However, it now appears that Smith might not be swapping his his sonic screwdriver for a light saber after all. When asked whether he's in the upcoming Star Wars film by the LA Times, the actor replied: "As far as I can tell, I'm definitely not."

Hmm... could Smith be playing coy, or bluffing because he's sworn to secrecy over his Star Wars role? We may not know for certain whether he's actually in the movie until Episode IX opens in theaters this December.

We do know, however, that Star Wars regulars Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Mark Hamill, Lupita Nyong'o, and Adam Driver will all appear in the latest instalment, joined by new cast members including Richard E. Grant and Dominic Monaghan.

The late Carrie Fisher, who passed away in December 2015, will also feature in the film. "There's a lot of minutes of footage. I don’t mean just outtakes. This is unused, new content that could be woven into the storyline," her brother Todd Fisher told Good Morning America in December. "It's going to look like it was meant to be. Like it was shot yesterday.

Meanwhile, we'll next see Smith in the upcoming film Charlie Says, in which he portrays notorious serial killer Charles Manson. It opens in theaters May 10.

Do you think Matt Smith is appearing in Star Wars: Episode IX or not?