Even though Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker concluded Disney's controversial sequel trilogy in 2019, the conversation around the studio's decisions (and lack thereof) is still being discussed.
In 2021 alone, a U.S. Federal Court ruled The Last Jedi as "mediocre" while George Lucas' ex-wife recently blasted the studio's failure to understand Star Wars.
However, while the audience's regard for the trilogy has yet to improve, Star Wars actor Andy Serkis has only found success following his character's shocking death in The Last Jedi.
After having played Ulysses Klau in Marvel's Black Panther, directed Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and whose performance as Alfred Pennyworth in The Batman is headed for theaters next year, the actor is now opening up about his short-lived run in that galaxy far, far away.
Star Wars Actor Comments on Character's Death
In talking with Gizmodo, Venom 2 director Andy Serkis shared his thoughts on playing Supreme Leader Snoke and his character's surprising death in Star Wars: The Last Jedi saying, "I was devastated."
“I was devastated when I read that script because it was all going so well. I was like, ‘Man, this is a boss character. I'm going to love playing... what!? You're kidding me, what?' I was like ‘Okay, is a good idea? I supposed it is. I was slightly mortified, pardon the pun.”
Serkis' reaction to the news of Snoke's death was similar to that of audiences watching the scene play out during screenings of The Last Jedi.
Much like Rey, Snoke's identity and his history were at the center of fan theories following The Force Awakens; but his death was something few saw coming.
Still, while his feelings about being written out of the story are understandable, Serkis swallowed his disappointment, trusting that the decision was right if it best served the story.
"It was all in the right, I think. I loved playing that character and I love the face-off scene between Kylo Ren and Rey, and so it was great.”
Even though Snoke's time was cut short (literally), audiences did learn about his mysterious origins in The Rise of Skywalker when Kylo Ren saw clones of Snoke in tubes and vats on Exegol.
Again, just like the audience, this was something Serkis was unaware of initially, saying, "The journey towards discovering that he was a Palpatine clone was something that happened during the process because everything was so secret since Force Awakens."
Could Andy Serkis Return to Star Wars?
In the months following The Rise of Skywalker's release, the trilogy's cast and crew confirmed what fans came to suspect - there was no plan for the trilogy.
Therefore, the mystery surrounding Snoke's identity was just as much of a mystery to The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson, who later admitted that "Snoke's identity was fundamentally uninteresting to him" and was looking to focus on Kylo Ren.
As an actor, this had to be frustrating for Serkis who - like most of the fans - was invested in the character. However, while the decision is controversial amongst fans, again, Star Wars wasn't Serkis' first appearance in a major franchise, nor was it his last.
In addition to his breakout role as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Serkis has since crossed into the MCU and now the DCU; and who knows, considering his wide range of talents, there may be another role for him in that galaxy far, far away sometime soon.
