Actor Adam Driver got a whole new level of stardom when he featured as the antagonist Kylo Ren in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Playing the son of Han Solo and Princess Leia, Kylo Ren became a formidable force against Daisy Ridley’s Rey and the gang in JJ Abrams’ sequel trilogy.
With a new Star Wars film on the horizon focusing on Rey’s character again, fans speculated that Adam Driver’s journey as Kylo Ren was not over in the franchise. However, the actor assured fans he was not part of the universe anymore and would not be reprising his role as Kylo Ren in the upcoming films. Spoilers ahead for the sequel trilogy.
Also read: Adam Driver Makes Startling Revelation About Ben Solo, Says He Was Never Meant To Be Redeemed
Is Adam Driver In The New Daisy Ridley Starring Star Wars Film?
Before he became the main antagonist of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Adam Driver began his career after his honorary discharge from the Marine Corps on stage. He then began appearing in supporting roles in independent films such as Frances Ha, Inside Llewyn Davis, and Hungry Hearts. He gained a massive fan following for his role in the HBO series Girls.
Driver was cast as Kylo Ren in JJ Abrams’ revival of the Star Wars films. He first appeared in The Force Awakens and was pitted against Daisy Ridley’s Rey and the other members of the Rebel Alliance. Ren followed the footsteps of his grandfather Darth Vader and crossed over to the dark side. Driver reprised the role in two more films in the trilogy.
In the final entry on the sequel trilogy, The Rise of Skywalker, Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren dies at the end, ending his journey in the billion-dollar franchise. While the film was said to be the final film of the Skywalker saga, a new film was announced earlier this year where Daisy Ridley’s Rey would be the protagonist again.
When this was announced, fans began speculating that Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren would return too, as no one dies in the Star Wars universe. However, Driver seems to have followed in his on-screen father Harrison Ford’s footsteps where he assured fans that his tenure in the franchise was over. Talking to the Smartless podcast, he said,
“They’re doing stuff, but not with me. I’m not doing any more.”
While there have been instances where actors have denied their involvement in high-profile films (Exhibit A: Andrew Garfield), Adam Driver seems to have shut the door when it comes to Kylo Ren.
Adam Driver’s On-Screen Father Would Have Killed For An Early Exit
While Adam Driver got the easy way out of the Star Wars franchise, with only a four-year tenure, his on-screen father Harrison Ford, who played Han Solo, had to wait decades to be done with the role. Ford was the leading cast member of the original trilogy and made his Star Wars debut in the first film A New Hope.
After starring in two more films, Harrison Ford finally got his wish of thirty years when his character Han Solo is killed off by his son Ben Solo a.k.a Kylo Ren, played by Adam Driver in The Force Awakens. In an AMA on Tumblr, which was hosted by EW, Ford responded to a fan’s question about being heartbroken over the character’s demise in Episode VII,
“I think it’s a fitting use of the character. I’ve been arguing for Han Solo to die for about 30 years, not because I was tired of him or because he’s boring, but his sacrifice for the other characters would lend gravitas and emotional weight.”
Ford has always rooted for the demise of Han Solo and has propagated that the character had no way of being useful in the series. While the Indiana Jones star had to wait for over three decades for this, Adam Driver only had to wait for four years.
