Star Wars: Adam Driver confirms he will not return as Kylo Ren

Adam Driver has cemented his reputation as a prestigious actor with a steadily rising career. He has collaborated with prominent filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese on Silence, Noah Baumbach on White Noise and Jim Jarmusch on Paterson, among others. His notoriety skyrocketed when he played Kylo Ren in the new Star Wars trilogy, debuting in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens. Playing Ben Solo, the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, his transformation to the dark side under the influence of Snoke captivated global audiences.

Recently on the Smartless podcast, Driver cleared up speculation about his return to the franchise: 'They're doing stuff, but not with me. I'm not doing any more.' When asked directly if his decision was due to the end of his character, he replied flatly: 'Yes,' eliminating any expectation of his return.

In another interview, the actor also revealed changes to J.J. Abrams' (Super 8) original plan for Kylo Ren. Initially, the filmmaker was looking for an opposite journey to Darth Vader for the character, starting out vulnerable and evolving into a deeper engagement with the dark side. However, during filming, this approach underwent significant adjustments and became what we eventually saw on screen.

Despite this, we will next be able to see Driver in Megalopolis, Francis Ford Coppola's (The Godfather) upcoming film. The plot will follow an architect who seeks to rebuild New York City after a chaotic disaster.

Adam Driver is a very versatile actor who has proven his talent through different roles such as the aforementioned Kylo Ken in the Star Wars saga or Charlie Barber in Marriage Story. The actor has also been nominated for an Academy Award.