Adam Driver has confirmed he’s not coming back to the Star Wars franchise to reprise his role as Kylo Ren.
The actor, who played Kylo Ren in the contentious Star Wars sequel trilogy, appeared on the Smartless podcast (via @adamdriverarchv on Twitter/X) over the holidays to clear the air about him returning to the galaxy far, far away amid rumors of him co-starring with Daisy Ridley in the upcoming Jedi Order movie.
He told hosts and fellow actors Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes that’s not the case when they asked if there were any talks about him being involved in more Star Wars projects.
“They’re doing stuff, but not with me. I’m not doing any more,” Driver said. He followed up the question “You’re done because the character’s done?” with a yes.
Spoilers for Rise of Skywalker
In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Kylo Ren (a.k.a. Ben Solo) used the Force to revive Rey after Palpatine killed her with lightning during a fight between him and the Resistance. But in doing so, he sacrificed himself, dying after he and Rey kissed. His arc was apparently quite different from what was originally planned, which would have seen Kylo grow into a truly terrifying villain.
NEW • Clip 2: Star Wars — Adam Driver | Podcast Appearance | Interview | XX.12.23 | December | 2023 pic.twitter.com/uRGt5WOXGB
— Adam Driver Archive (@adamdriverarchv) December 27, 2023
In the past, producers at Lucasfilm said that just because a Star Wars character dies doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t return in some way. For example, Yoda died in Return of the Jedi, but he returned as a spirit in The Last Jedi to burn down the Jedi library on Luke’s behalf and encourage Luke to learn from his failures. However, Driver put the rumors of his return to the Star Wars franchise to with his intention of not coming back to Star Wars at all, thereby letting Kylo Ren stay dead.
As for the new film taking place 15 years after Rise of Skywalker, star Daisy Ridley has apparently said that it's "not what she expected." It does not have a set release date, but it's expected to be released sometime in 2026.
Cristina Alexander is a freelance writer for IGN. To paraphrase Calvin Harris, she wears her love for Sonic the Hedgehog on her sleeve like a big deal. Follow her on Twitter @SonicPrincess15.
