A Star Wars: The Force Awakens photo shows Adam Driver trying on his infamous Kylo Ren costume. Over the course of the Star Wars franchise, the most intriguing villains have made definite impressions on fans, as well as on the entire Star Wars universe. As one of the final villains of the Skywalker saga, Kylo Ren was a character that fans responded to in a big way. Portrayed by Oscar-nominee Adam Driver, Ren’s status as Han Solo and Princess Leia’s Dark Side embracing son was perhaps a little too derivative for some. However, all comparisons to Anakin Skywalker aside, Driver did something entirely different with the character.
Ren’s measured, yet at times despicably evil behavior made for an atypical sort of villain – at least by Star Wars standards. Where Darth Vader’s persona was darkness personified and often felt very cut off from those around him, Kylo Ren maintained a somewhat humanistic link to his enemies. Watching the sequel trilogy, it’s often the case that Ren seems driven to the things that he does, whereas Vader’s sensibilities came across as more robotic, or simply as the result of someone who had fully severed ties with humanity.
Perhaps this was the result of Star Wars fans being familiar with Driver before he ever became known as Kylo Ren. Driver’s serious nature had been an asset to him in numerous film and TV productions before Star Wars. This made the actor well suited to bring his own brand of complexity and darkness to Kylo Ren, and fans were more than happy to watch him do it. And with May the 4th upon us, fans have now been given the chance to catch a glimpse of Driver in the very early days of his journey to transform into Ren. In an image from Wilson Photo, via Instagram, Driver can be seen being fitted for the Kylo Ren costume. He already looks every bit the part, and doesn’t seem to harbor any doubts about what sort of person the character is.
Of course, as fans know, Ren’s allegiance switches by the end of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, but even when it becomes clear the character is no longer a threat to all that is good, Driver’s portrayal remains coldly consistent. It is strange to see a photo such as this one, mostly because it was taken three films ago. Often with characters from long running television programs or extensive film franchises like Star Wars, the characters will appear different from one point in time to another. With Ren, the character’s largest transformation comes from within, meaning that even a photo from five years and three films earlier portrays him as exactly the same. Once again, this likely has a lot to do with Driver’s portrayal of the character, who he seemed to understand quite deeply right from the start.
Then again, some could take this photo as further proof that the character of Kylo Ren lacks the substance to be a truly iconic villain. Decades on from Darth Vader’s introduction into the Star Wars canon, even those who aren’t Star Wars fans can easily identify the character. Will Kylo Ren be remembered to the same degree? Some might argue that Driver’s portrayal will ensure this is exactly the case. However, there’s always the chance that decades from now it might take photos such as this one to remind fans of Kylo Ren’s complexity.
Source: Wilson Photo/Instagram