When Disney purchased the rights to the Star Wars franchise from LucasFilm, fans were understandably excited and cautious. The move would almost certainly mean that there would be new movies but there was concern that a big studio like Disney might want to release the films too regularly, saturating the market with sci-fi films.
Although there are some who have enjoyed the sequel trilogy, the vast majority of long time fans were not particularly impressed with them. Sure, they were visually spectacular and reunited old characters together again but the overall story left a lot to be desired. Whatever you personally think about the latest trilogy, you have to accept they are not as universally loved as the originals.
It turns out that the cast of these films has also been outspoken about the sequels. Some have defended them from critics while others have pointed out the flaws in them. You might be surprised to learn what each of these actors thought about The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and Rise of Skywalker.
15 Ewan McGregor Doesn't Like The New Lightsabers
Speaking to Cinema Blend, prequel actor Ewan McGregor said he is not a fan of the new lightsaber design for Kylo Ren. He said: “It’s got a hilt now. You don’t need a hilt. If you know how to handle a lightsaber, like we did, you don’t need a hilt. That’s just one thing that I think they might have got wrong.”
14 Anthony Daniels Wishes C-3PO Had More To Do
C-3PO actor Anthony Daniels explained that he was disappointed with his lack of purpose, saying, “I know it has been particularly difficult for him (Hamill) lately because the new movies haven’t given him much to do. I certainly recognise that and can relate to it. In these new movies, I have felt like a table decoration. And that is difficult because I recognise this character (C-3PO) is worth so much more. But I understand it is a whole film, not a feature about C-3PO.”
13 Oscar Isaac Wanted Disney To Allow Them To Explore A Romance Between Poe And Finn
Oscar Isaac wanted Disney to allow the filmmakers to explore his character’s relationship with Finn. He said, “I think there could’ve been a very interesting, forward-thinking – not even forward-thinking, just, like, current-thinking – love story there, something that hadn’t quite been explored yet; particularly the dynamic between these two men in war that could’ve fallen in love with each other. I would try to push it a bit in that direction, but the Disney overlords were not ready to do that.”
12 Ian McDiarmid Explained That George Lucas Would Never Have Revived Palatine
Palpatine actor Ian McDiarmid did not believe George Lucas intended for the Sith Lord to return, saying, “I thought I was dead! I thought he was dead. Because when we did Return of the Jedi, and I was thrown down that chute to Galactic Hell, he was dead. And I said, ‘Oh, does he come back?’ And [George] said, ‘No, he’s dead.’ So I just accepted that. But then, of course, I didn’t know I was going to be doing the prequels, so in a sense he wasn’t dead, because we went back to revisit him when he was a young man. But I was totally surprised by this.”
11 Andy Serkis Didn't Like Snoke Being Killed So Early
Andy Serkis, who played Snoke, thought his character was hardly done justice. He said, “So cruel. He’s disposed of so early on in his career. It’s a Star Wars movie, anything can happen. I’m saying this with the hope that someone’s listening out there.”
10 Greg Grunberg Stated There Is No Special Directors Cut
Greg Grunberg stated that there isn’t some mythical director’s cut of the final film, stating, “I'm being completely honest here, but not once did he ever tell me that there was any pressure on him to cut things out. Personally, I don't think there's any truth to that, and I would be surprised if there's a ‘J.J. cut.' Every movie goes through a series of cuts; it's just the nature of it. I don't buy into it at all.”
9 Mark Hamill Didn't Like The Direction His Character Took
Luke Skywalker actor Mark Hamill didn’t agree with the way his character was developed in the sequel movies, saying, “That’s the hard part. You don’t want to admit how possessive you’ve become. There are times where you go, ‘Really? That’s what they think of Luke? I’m not only in disagreement – I’m insulted.’ But that’s the process and you thrash it all out.”
8 Hamill Was Not A Fan Of His Exercise Regime
Mark Hamill was also outspoken about the way he was forced to get into shape. He said, “Why are they training me to turn and remove a hood? I could be the size of Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now, who’s going to know?”
7 Daisy Ridley Wants The Franchise To Slow Down
Daisy Ridley thinks that the series needs to slow down, saying, “What I want is a break. And everyone’s discussed it, but I think we just need to let The Rise of Skywalker have its moment, and then just take a breath. Figure out where next.”
6 The Mandalorian Actor Jake Cannavale Hated Rise Of Skywalker
The Mandalorian star Jake Cannavale said, “An absolute f****** failure. Went to see it last night and I woke up still mad. Like… it rendered the entire new trilogy completely useless. There were more plot holes than there was plot. The amount of ‘by the ways’ was absolutely infuriating. Rise of Skywalker was worse than Phantom Menace AND Last Jedi combined.”
5 John Boyega Doesn't Believe Fans Got To Know The Characters Enough
John Boyega wanted the audience to see more interaction between the characters so they could get to know them more, saying, “I guess in the original Star Wars films there was much more of a trio feel where it was essentially about Luke’s journey, but Han and Leia there was a strong dynamic. Which I think, I don’t know how quickly we’re going to be able to establish that long-term dynamic.”
4 Adam Driver Loves The Ambiguity In The Ending Of Rise Of Skywalker
Adam Driver is a big fan of the way the movies don’t tell the audience what to think, he said, “I don't want to shortchange it by saying what they are because I always feel that that's more exciting for an audience to attach meaning. And in a sense it doesn't really matter what my opinion is. It's for an audience to project their own meaning towards. And luckily we had a script that honors ambiguity.”
3 Carrie Fisher Felt Pressured To Lose Weight For Her Role
Carrie Fisher was critical of the way she was asked to lose weight for her role, saying, “They don’t want to hire all of me – only about three-quarters! Nothing changes, it’s an appearance-driven thing. I’m in a business where the only thing that matters is weight and appearance. That is so messed up. They might as well say get younger, because that’s how easy it is.”
2 Harrison Ford Felt That The Usefulness Of Han Solo Had Ended
Han Solo star Harrison Ford was happy to see his character die to add drama and because he felt that he had run his course. He said, “You're putting a different complexion on it all. I figured that his utility had been exhausted, bled out, and I was willing to die for the cause. To bring some gravitas.”
1 Mark Hamill Wanted To Interact With More Characters
Mark Hamill also wanted to spend more time with the new actors and interact with more characters in the sequel movies. He said, “From Peter Cushing on, every single one of them. Imagine the fantastic Sequel Trilogy actors & only working with two of them!”