Tom Hardy's cameo was cut from Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Royalty notwithstanding, news of Tom Hardy’s cameo as a stormtrooper in Star Wars: The Last Jedi got a fair few folk pretty excited.

Like Daniel Craig before him in The Force Awakens, it has emerged that he even got a bit of dialogue too.

But it sounds like we may have to wait for the director’s cut – or at least the Blu-ray – to hear it, as according to reports, Hardy’s star turn ended up getting cut.

While he most likely still appears on camera in the iconic white armour – though it’s probably going to be a bit hard to tell – a gag between him and John Boyega’s Finn didn’t make it to the final movie.

There are minor spoilers ahead, so be warned…

Slashfilm reports that Hardy’s moment came during the sequence when Finn, DJ and Rose infiltrate the ship of Supreme Leader Snoke, and disguise themselves as First Order top brass in order to disable its light speed tracking capability.

While stuck in a lift with the stormtroopers, one turns to Finn quizzically, causing our hero to ask him what the problem is.

Hardy’s trooper then replies, in what’s said to be a thick Southern US accent: “I know who you are…. FN 2187! Damn boy, I never took you for officer material!”

It appears the pair were pals, and it’s revealed that they grew up together, a moment which was said to have comedically cut the tension of the scene.

However, news of the nature of the pair’s interaction has thrown up a few questions among fans, namely how come the trooper was unaware of Finn’s rather spectacular treachery?

Did the First Order sweep it under the carpet to avoid similar revolting behaviour among the rank and file, or to avoid the embarrassment of admitting it was wrong footed by one of its own?

Whatever, the exchange didn’t make it into the final movie, but this may also be the scene in which Prince Harry and Prince William donned the Stormtrooper armour too.

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