Star Wars’ Worst Character Returning To The Franchise?
Star Wars has an ever-expanding list of characters that have been introduced throughout the saga, but one of the most hated might be coming back.
In the realm of Star Wars movies, The Last Jedi has been a contentious topic since its release. While a lot of people loved it, some found that the story insisted upon itself with a sense of forced urgency. However, the 2017 film did introduce audiences to an important live-action character – Vice-Admiral Amilyn Holdo. Portrayed by Laura Dern, Holdo sacrificed herself for the good of the Resistance. But since we didn’t witness her demise, fans have come up with all kinds of theories about how she could have survived.
If she did make the ultimate sacrifice, a lot of folks say they’d love to see the character return in any capacity. Even in a prequel story. Now, in an interview with ComicBook, the actress who brought Holdo to life on screen says she would be open to it. But she made sure everyone knows the final decision lies solely with the studio. “I mean, we can ask Kathy Kennedy, the same person who helped me create Dr. Ellie Sattler,” Laura Dern said, referencing her Jurassic World Dominion character.
When the publication suggested that the perfect Star Wars return for Holdo would be in a project directed by Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern was completely on board. “Exactly, I love it! That’s amazing,” she said about the idea. Howard stars alongside the 55-year-old in the latest installment of the Jurassic Park franchise. She also has some impressive Star Wars director credits, having worked on episodes of The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett.
Although the novel version of Vice-Admiral Amilyn Holdo received acclaim over the years, her movie counterpart (Laura Dern) received some backlash for being too different from the source material. Since her first appearance in the novel Star Wars: Leia, Princess of Alderaan, Holdo has always been an eccentric, highly intelligent, member of the Rebel Alliance. Often underestimated because of her quirks, she is knowledgeable of the esoteric and spiritual practices of her home planet Gatalenta and sometimes speaks in riddles and strange metaphors.
When creating The Last Jedi, director Rian Johnson initially wanted the character to be very close to her description in the book. But Laura Dern’s interpretation of Holdo was “too spacey” for the filmmaker. So, he significantly toned down the character’s eccentricities in the final version of the script, much to the irritation of fans. Therefore, a lot of people refer to the movie version of Vice-Admiral Amilyn Holdo as one of the worst characters in the Star Wars galaxy.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Laura Dern expressed an interest in reprising her Star Wars character. She previously told the Evening Standard (via ComicBook) that she’d be open to playing Holdo again. The actress added that she’d be eager to learn more about the character’s past or future since she loved playing her so much. She added that it would be heartbreaking not to have the experience of playing her again. “Whether or not there’s an escape pod, unfortunately, I’m not the one that knows,” the actress told the publication. With so many Star Wars shows on Disney’s job card, she might not get her wish any time soon.
