Watch the Star Wars movies in order and the accompanying TV shows, and you’ll find a handful of dead characters who’ve later returned, whether it’s because they were resurrected, their deaths never actually happened or, in the case of a few lucky Force users, they’ve popped back up as Force users. In that third category, one wouldn’t be faulted for thinking Kylo Ren might fall into it following his demise in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. However, Adam Driver has confirmed that he’s finished with the Star Wars franchise and also explained why playing Kylo, a.k.a. Ben Solo, in the Sequel Trilogy was “exhausting” for him.
During his visit to the SmartLess podcast, Driver was asked by Sean Hayes, who hosts the podcast will Will Arnett and Jason Bateman, about if the actor has had any more talk about “Star Wars stuff.” Driver made it clear that he’s “not doing any more” in a galaxy far, far away because of Kylo Ren’s ultimate fate. Later on in the interview, Bateman inquired about what the momentum of working on The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker was like for him, which Arnett followed with a more general question about his approach to momentum in a movie set, and here’s what Driver had to say:
Star Wars was way more exhausting for me. I made it more exhausting than it should have been because I hadn’t quite figured out the momentum of a set that was that big before. All the things I had worked on were pretty small and moved pretty fast... Usually the director sets the pace of the set. I don’t like to be the person that tries to control the rhythm or pace of a set. I have to adjust. Spike Lee and [Steven] Soderbergh shoot really fast. For me, that’s not comfortable, but it’s their movie and their film, so I adjust to what it is they’re doing.
For those who haven’t viewed Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in a while, be it with a Disney+ subscription or their own copy of the movie, the redeemed Ben Solo transferred his life essence to Rey to revive her following her showdown with Palpatine, her grandfather. After they shared a kiss, Ben’s body faded away, a tell tale sign that someone could return as a Force Ghost, just like his mother, Leia Organa, and his uncle, Luke Skywalker, did at the end of the Skywalker Saga’s final chapter.
And yet, per this interview, we won’t be seeing Force Ghost Ben appear in the coming years. Part of me wonders if Adam Driver might be convinced to change his mind given that Daisy Ridley has the Rey movie coming up, which will catch fans back up with her 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker as she’s building the new Jedi Order. For now though, Driver sounds content leaving this chapter of his career behind him.
Besides, given all the people who still mention to him that Kylo Ren killed Han Solo, it’s not Driver will ever that far away from Star Wars. The actor also recently talked about the original arc for Kylo Ren across the Sequel Trilogy was much different than how things ultimately capped off for the character in The Rise of Skywalker. Regardless, if you’d like to see more of Driver onscreen, his latest movie, Ferrari, is still playing in theaters. And as always, keep visiting CinemaBlend for the biggest news about upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows.
