Adam Driver Reveals Kylo Ren Original Star Wars Fate And We Wish It Had Happened
Adam Driver says that Kylo Ren’s Star Wars story was initially devoid of any redemption arc. Speaking on The Rich Eisen Show, the actor said even though the plot changed, he remained committed to the character’s original concept and revealed what it would have looked like. “I had an overall arc in mind that [Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams] wanted to do, which then changed,” he said.
Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren was initially never going to receive a redemption arc, and the story would have seen Kylo Ren completely give himself to the dark side.
“But his idea was that — almost the opposite journey of Vader, where Vader starts the most confident, the most committed to the Dark Side, and by the last movie, he’s the most vulnerable and weak,” Adam Driver explained. “He wanted to start at the opposite. [Kylo Ren] was the most confused and vulnerable and, by the end of the three movies, would be the most committed to the Dark Side.
“I tried to keep that arc in mind regardless if that wound up not being the journey anyway, because it changed, obviously, while we were shooting. But I was still focused on that,” he continued. Adam Driver also talked about The Last Jedi and how director Rian Johnson went in a different direction. However, the filmmaker was still working off the original Kylo Ren arc.
“With Rian, he took it into a different direction, but still tracked, with the character,” Adam Driver added. “Then [in Rise of Skywalker], it changed into being about [Kylo and Rey] and the dyad and things like that. And evolving into Ben Solo… That was never part of it. Well, Ben Solo, he was Ben Solo from the beginning, but it was never a version where we see Ben Solo, when I signed up for it.”
Kylo Ren is an important antagonist in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, which includes The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017), and The Rise of Skywalker (2019). Portrayed by Adam Driver, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren is the son of Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and the nephew of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill).
“But his idea was that — almost the opposite journey of Vader, where Vader starts the most confident, the most committed to the Dark Side, and by the last movie, he’s the most vulnerable and weak.”
Adam Driver on original Kylo Ren arc ideas
Ben was initially trained as a Jedi by his uncle. However, he was seduced by the dark side of the Force, influenced by the mysterious Supreme Leader Snoke. Ben eventually adopts the name Kylo Ren, discarding his former identity. Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren is visually distinctive, wearing a dark, hooded robe and a mask with a crossguard lightsaber.
The mask, reminiscent of Darth Vader’s, reflects Kylo’s admiration for his grandfather and symbolizes his internal struggles and conflicts. The character plays a crucial role in the broader narrative of the sequel trilogy. He is instrumental in the pursuit of the film’s protagonists, Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac).
In his recent Saturday Night Live monologue, Adam Driver playfully criticized Star Wars, attributing the demise of Han Solo to “wokeness.” While reciting his Christmas wish list to Santa, the actor addressed the persistent public perception that he, through his character Kylo Ren, was responsible for Han Solo’s death.
“I would like people to stop coming up to me on the street saying, ‘You killed Han Solo!’ I didn’t kill him. Wokeness killed Han Solo,” he quipped. Adam Driver has previously discussed the lasting impact of his Star Wars role on his life. During an interview on Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?, he mentioned being regularly reminded about the scene by fans, albeit with diminishing frequency.
“Then [in Rise of Skywalker], it changed into being about [Kylo and Rey] and the dyad and things like that. And evolving into Ben Solo… That was never part of it. Well, Ben Solo, he was Ben Solo from the beginning, but it was never a version where we see Ben Solo, when I signed up for it.”
Adam Driver
Following Star Wars, Adam Driver has diversified his acting portfolio with roles in films like House of Gucci, The Last Duel, and White Noise. He recently portrayed Enzo Ferrari in Michael Mann’s biopic titled Ferrari. The movie features an ensemble cast including Penélope Cruz, Shailene Woodley, Sarah Gadon, Gabriel Leone, Jack O’Connell, and Patrick Dempsey.
Adam Driver’s next project is the sci-fi drama Megalopolis from director Francis Ford Coppola. The film’s ensemble cast includes Forest Whitaker, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jason Schwartzman, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Grace VanderWaal, Kathryn Hunter, Talia Shire, Dustin Hoffman, D. B. Sweeney, and Giancarlo Esposito.
Set in New York, the story revolves around Julia Cisero, torn between her father’s traditional views and her architect lover Caesar’s (Adam Driver) vision to rebuild the city as a utopia after a disaster. While the movie does not have an official release date, it is expected to hit cinemas worldwide in 2024.
