While the Skywalker Saga’s sequel trilogy failed to use Poe Dameron to his full potential, Star Wars may get another chance to better explore the character that was meant to replace Han Solo. Introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Poe was a Resistance pilot and one of General Leia Organa’s most-trusted rebels. After briefly being demoted in Star Wars: The Last Jedi due to his rash decisions, Poe later rose to become the co-general of the Resistance with Finn after Leia died in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Together, Poe and Finn led the Resistance’s final attack on Exegol, ultimately defeating the First Order and Darth Sidious. Despite these important roles throughout the Star Wars sequel trilogy, many viewers believed that Poe’s character was underused.
Fortunately, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker may not be the end of Poe’s story. In 2020, Poe’s actor, Oscar Isaac, explained that he did not want to film any more Star Wars movies. However, in a more recent interview, Isaac changed his mind about reprising his role. He explained that if Lucasfilm found “a great story and a great director,” he would be open to the idea of returning to Star Wars.
Isaac’s change in opinion is good news for viewers who wanted to see more storylines and character development centered on Poe. This is also good news for Star Wars’ future since Poe was originally meant to be the next Han Solo. Although Poe and Han might not have ever met in-universe, both were charismatic pilots who quickly became fan-favorite characters. With Isaac now willing to portray Poe again, Star Wars has the opportunity to create new stories that will fully develop Poe’s character and allow him to fulfill his purpose of replacing Han Solo.
Star Wars Needs To Use Poe Dameron Better
Although Poe was in the Star Wars sequels’ main trio with Rey and Finn, his character was underused throughout the trilogy. In Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Poe received little screen time since he was presumed dead for the majority of the movie. Due to this, Poe’s character development was limited until Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which still did not handle his character arc well. During The Last Jedi, Poe was meant to learn to be less rash and more thoughtful, so he could become a responsible leader. However, the story surrounding this arc confused some viewers, who wondered why Leia’s temporary replacement, Vice-Admiral Holdo, chose to keep important secrets from one of Leia’s trusted operatives. Poe, Finn, and Rey were rarely together on screen, especially since Poe and Rey did not meet until the end of The Last Jedi. This hindered Poe’s relationships with other characters, leaving viewers to assume they became friends off-screen. Due to this, Poe still has great potential for character growth and relationships in future projects with Oscar Isaac.
Isaac’s return would allow Poe to better step into Han Solo’s role. While Rey has been compared to Luke Skywalker, Poe was meant to resemble Han. Both Poe and Han were talented pilots who rose from disreputable backgrounds – as a spice runner and smuggler (akin to Dune) respectively – to become rebel leaders. Based on Solo: A Star Wars Story’s lack of success, Star Wars is better off not trying to tell any more stories about Han without the involvement of his iconic actor, Harrison Ford. In contrast, Isaac could easily step back into the role of Poe and continue his story. This could also help expand the Star Wars franchise as a whole by exploring events after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker rather than continuing to focus on eras in between movies. Although there are currently no set plans, Isaac’s interest in returning to Star Wars is the first step toward realizing Poe Dameron’s full potential.
