Oscar Isaac, known for his role as Poe Dameron in the “Star Wars” franchise, initially expressed an openness to reprising his character in future films. This sentiment was shared with Variety in late August, prior to the world premiere of “Frankenstein” at the Venice Film Festival. Isaac portrayed the iconic X-wing fighter pilot in three “Star Wars” installments released between 2015 and 2019.

However, Isaac’s willingness to return to the Disney-owned franchise became more nuanced a few weeks later. The complication arose when Disney-owned ABC temporarily suspended Jimmy Kimmel from his show due to comments he made regarding the shooting death of Charlie Kirk. In a subsequent interview with GQ magazine, Isaac provided a clarified stance on his potential “Star Wars” return.

When asked about stepping back into the galaxy far, far away, Isaac stated, “Yeah. I mean, I’d be open to it, although right now I’m not so open to working with Disney. But if they can kinda figure it out and, you know, not succumb to fascism, that would be great… if that happens, then yeah, I’d be open to having a conversation about a galaxy far away. Or any number of other things.” The GQ interview was conducted just two days after ABC and Disney halted production on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in response to the controversy surrounding Kimmel’s remarks about Charlie Kirk’s death.

Kimmel eventually returned to ABC four days after Isaac’s interview. In his monologue on September 15th, shortly after the suspected killer of Charlie Kirk was apprehended, Kimmel joked, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.” This comment led to his suspension. Upon his return to air on September 23rd, an emotional Kimmel clarified that he never intended “to make light of the murder of a young man.”

Isaac’s current position marks a significant shift from his earlier reservations about returning to the “Star Wars” universe. In 2020, following the release of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” Isaac had expressed on a Deadline panel that “Star Wars” movies were “not really what I set out to do” as an actor. He emphasized his desire “to make handmade movies, and to work with people that inspire me,” suggesting he would “probably” not return, though adding, “who knows. [Maybe] if I need another house or something.” Isaac now admits to GQ that his previous candid remarks were perhaps ill-advised, explaining, “Yeah. That was a real likable quote. Jesus Christ. Y’know, people ask you things, you say stuff, you don’t really think about it that much. I said a slightly dickish thing.”