Adam Driver has made quite a splash in Hollywood over the past few years working with a wide range of directors and genres. Still, according to a new interview with CNN and Chris Wallace, the actor says there’s one thing he simply cannot escape: He’s the one who killed Han Solo in 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Driver said on the unforgettable moment etched into Star Wars history, “Someone reminds me about that every day. Not every day, it used to be more but now it’s probably once a month.”
Adam Driver Portrayed an Iconic Star Wars Character
While the Sequel Trilogy ended up rather divisive among Star Wars fans, The Force Awakens was widely beloved in its initial release in December 2015. Among the many talking points of the film for fans was the death of beloved series regular Han Solo at the hands of his son and primary series antagonist Kylo Ren/Ben Solo.
I remember the amount of hype and anticipation around Harrison Ford returning to one of his most iconic characters to help kick off the new trilogy as well as the shock when Kylo stabbed him with his lightsaber.
When Driver was asked if he found the idea of killing Harrison Ford tough, the actor responded, “I remember shooting that day, and it didn’t feel like that at all. John Williams wasn’t playing in the background and it was very emotional, actually shooting it with Harrison. ” Driver continued, “Harrison was so generous and contemplative, and to me, that was a great moment on set even though it was his death.”
From Driver’s comments on shooting the scene with Ford, it sounds like both men had a positive experience. Driver got the chance to be forever etched into film and franchise history as the one who killed Han Solo and Harrison Ford was finally able to put one of his most iconic characters to rest, at least for the time being.
Galaxy-Spanning Consequences
The death of Han Solo in The Force Awakens signaled several things for the new trilogy. Firstly, it promised us that long-standing characters could potentially die even after so many close calls in the past, something that would be repeated in The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. Of course, Han Solo would appear again in that latter film to Kylo as a type of ghost from his memories. Otherwise, he was out of the picture.
While emotionally impactful in the moment, in the long run, it also meant that Solo, Luke Skywalker, and now General Leia wouldn’t appear onscreen together in the new films, much to fans’ chagrin. Following Force Awakens, the remainder of Kylo Ren’s arc would see him conflicted over his actions before sacrificing himself to save Daisy Ridley’s Rey in the fight against a resurrected Palpatine. No one knows how Kylo’s character arc might have played out in future films if he hadn’t killed Han in Force, but that’s a question we’ll likely never see the answer to.
A Driving Force
Adam Driver’s performance as Kylo Ren was one of the most consistently praised aspects of the sequel trilogy. The emotional intensity Driver brought to the role essentially put him on everyone’s radar overnight and launched him as one of today’s most sought-after leading men.
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Outside of Star Wars, Driver has worked with several high-profile directors, including Spike Lee on Blackkklansman (for which he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor), Noah Baumbach on Marriage Story (receiving a Best Actor nomination), Steven Soderbergh on Logan Lucky, and Ridley Scott in The Last Duel and House of Gucci. The actor also took time for the dinosaur movie 65 and will next be seen in Michael Mann’s Ferrari, so it’s safe to say he won’t have to worry about Star Wars defining his career even if fans still bring up that he killed Han Solo from time to time.
What do you think of Adam Driver’s comments regarding the death of Han Solo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens? What’s your favorite film he’s starred in? What did you think of his performance in the sequel trilogy? Let us know on our social media, and may the Force be with you all.
SOURCE: CNN
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