Supreme Leader Snoke wasn’t the most sympathetic of figures, but Andy Serkis apparently had some affection for the character, making it a saddening moment for the star when the villain was struck down about two thirds into Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
A new piece from Entertainment Weekly reports that the Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle helmsman “cringed” while watching Snoke’s fate, since he felt it was a real shame to see such a promising career cut short.
“So cruel,” Serkis said. “He’s disposed of so early on in his career.”
The killing of Snoke remains a divisive moment among many in Rian Johnson’s last film, primarily due to how little we learned about the character before his exit from the series. Nonetheless, Serkis has argued that the villain could still have a future in this franchise yet:
“It’s a Star Wars movie, anything can happen. I’m saying this with the hope that someone’s listening out there.”
From the sound of things, we probably shouldn’t expect to see Serkis reprise his role in the upcoming Star Wars: Episode IX, but surely we can’t rule out some future movie or TV show fleshing out the character’s backstory.
For the time being, however, the lane is clear for Kylo Ren to serve as main villain in next year’s release, making this a rare instance in the series where the number one Big Bad isn’t some embodiment of absolute evil but instead a character who’s still capable of feeling morally conflicted. That being said, going by the recent confirmation that Episode IX will be set one year after Star Wars: The Last Jedi, perhaps we’ll find that Adam Driver’s character has hardened over time as he settles into his role as the new Supreme Leader. We’ll find out when the film hits theaters on December 20th, 2019.
