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Credit: LucasfilmActor Adam Driver gained international recognition playing the new Star Wars villain, Kylo Ren. As Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and General Leia Organa’s (Carrie Fisher) son, Ben Solo, Driver captivated audiences with his menacing presence and armored homage to his grandfather, Darth Vader.
Now, in a life post-Star Wars, the Girls actor is continuing to make blockbuster movies and during his most recent appearance, Driver revealed why he will likely not return to San Diego Comic-Con.
Driver arrived in the galaxy far, far away in JJ Abrams’ Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens (2015) movie alongside other fellow newcomers like Daisy Ridley (Rey), Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron), and John Boyega (Finn). They joined the original trilogy trio of Solo, Organa, and later Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker).
Going on to appear as the main antagonist in the rest of the sequel trilogy movies, Driver’s Kylo Ren became a fan-favorite addition to the franchise in an otherwise cluttered and muddled trilogy. Rian Johnson’s polarizing Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi (2017) saw a unique bond form between Kylo Ren and Rey ultimately leading to a face-off with Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis).
The concluding event in Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker (2019) became the redemption story for Driver’s Star Wars character as he once again joined forces with Ridley’s Rey to defeat Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) on the Sith hideaway, Exegol.
During his Star Wars tenure, Driver also starred in feature films like BlacKKKlansman (2018) and Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story (2019) with Scarlett Johansson, and following his departure from Lucasfilm’s premier franchise, appeared in Annette (2021) and The Last Duel (2021). His next film outing on the big screen will be as Maurizio Gucci in Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci (2021).
During a recent interview alongside his co-star, the Oscar-winning musician and actress Lady Gaga, Driver harked back to his time on Star Wars and made rather interesting claims. Speaking on BBC’s The Graham Norton Show, the Kylo Ren star discussed his experience at San Diego Comic-Con:
“I got in at the hotel at 2 in the morning, and I’m like, ‘Maybe tomorrow I’ll go get a coffee.’ And they’re like, ‘Oh no, you can’t get a coffee.’ I’m like, ‘Well, maybe I’ll get a coffee in the hotel.’ They’re like, ‘No, you can’t get a coffee in the hotel.”
The actor goes on to detail that he was “given an option” of an Iron Man or a Darth Vader mask, after being told that if he wanted to go outside he would need to wear a mask “because Star Wars [The Force Awakens] hadn’t come out yet”.
Driver goes on to say how he couldn’t even escape Star Wars fans in his hotel room:
“I opened my window because I’d been in the room for 24 hours before this thing we were supposed to do and then there was a band at the bottom of the building playing the Star Wars theme on repeat because we [the cast] were all staying in the hotel. It was scary. I saw what it was. I mean, it’s nice. I’m not anxious to go again.”
At this time, Driver doesn’t seem to have any big franchise movies upcoming so he may be able to stay away from the “scary” Comic-Con experience for a little while yet.
Star Wars is, in fact, bringing the Knights of Ren back into the franchise canon. The third installment in Star Wars‘ new trilogy from Marvel Comics, Crimson Reign, sees Qi’ra — Han Solo’s former lover played by Emilia Clarke in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) — unite various factions from across the galaxy in an attempt to take down the Sith Lords, Darth Vader and Darth Sidious AKA Emperor Palpatine.
We hope that Adam Driver eventually got his coffee.
Will you be watching House of Gucci starring Adam Driver and Lady Gaga this fall? Let us know in the comments down below!
