“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” star Domhnall Gleeson is 100% at the ready for a spinoff film tied to his character, the antagonistic General Hux in the sequel trilogy — but he’s not so sure people at Disney or otherwise are pouncing on the opportunity.
When asked if he would ever reprise the role during an interview with TheWrap about his new series “The Patient,” Gleeson responded enthusiastically, “Of course I would! He was really interesting, and I think there’s a lot I could do more [with him].”
However, he continued, “I don’t see them making the call. I’m not sure anybody’s clamoring for a Hux sequel or prequel. But yeah, of course. Those movies are amazing.”
Gleeson gamely essayed the role of Hux, a kind of modern version of Peter Cushing’s Grand Moff Tarkin from the original “Star Wars” film — the prim and proper English middle-manager who is put in charge of wrangling a feisty, force wielder (as Tarkin worked with Darth Vader, Hux had to contend with Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren).
While more of a straightforward baddie in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” writer-director Rian Johnson gave him a comedic dimension in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” which also did much to humanize the character. By the time “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” rolled around in 2019, Hux had revealed himself to be a secret spy for the Resistance, a controversial move made all the more befuddling by his subsequent (but, crucially, off-screen!) death.
Hux could certainly still be alive and there is definitely more story to tell with him (like why he turned on the First Order so abruptly), although Disney and Lucasfilm have yet to follow-up the recent sequel trilogy with any stories set after those adventures. There hasn’t been a movie since “The Rise of Skywalker” and all of the live-action series have been set in the continuity’s past. For example the upcoming series “Andor” takes place in the lead-up to “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” which itself was set immediately before the events of the original “Star Wars.” There have been some animated “LEGO Star Wars” specials utilizing the sequel trilogy characters but their connection to canon is pretty loose.
Still, Hux could turn up in something, for sure. And if you really want your Hux fix, you can see Gleeson play the character outside of the sequel trilogy in the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance attraction at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. (Depending on what combination of show scenes you get, you can also see him in Star Tours.)
Aside from the “Star Wars” franchise, Gleeson is known for his roles as the elder Bill Weasley in “Harry Potter” and romantic lead in the popular 2013 romantic dramedy “About Time.” He also appeared alongside Oscar Isaac in Alex Garland’s artificial intelligence thriller “Ex Machina,” “Black Mirror,” “Frank” and “Anna Karenina.” Next up, he’ll star alongside Steve Carell in FX’s psychological limited series “The Patient.”
