Actor Domhnall Gleeson has voiced his continued support for Rian Johnson’s 2017 film , Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi. Speaking to The Incomer, the Irish performer expressed satisfaction with how his character, General Hux, was developed during the sequel trilogy.
How General Hux outpaced Imperial icons like Tarkin
While many secondary villains in the Star Wars franchise serve merely as fodder to highlight the power of Sith Lords, General Hux has maintained a surprisingly durable presence. As the report notes, Hux’s four-film presence across the sequel trilogy distinguishes him from previous military figures like Admiral Piett or Grand Moff Tarkin, who had much more limited screen time.
The character's reach extends well beyond the silver screen , appearing in the Disney theme park attraction Rise of the Resistance alongside Kylo Ren. Furthermore, the character's lineage has been integrated into the broader Disney+ ecosystem; Gleeson's brother, Brian Gleeson, portrayed Hux's father, Brendol, in the third season of The Mandalorian. This cross-media longevity suggests that even as the character met a violent end at the hands of Richard E. Grant's Allegiant General Pryde in The Rise of Skywalker, the archetype remains a staple of the franchise.
The 2017 fallout from Rian Johnson's narrative shifts
The defense of The Last Jedi comes against a backdrop of intense cinematic division. When the film debuted in 2017, it fundamentally altered the trajectory of the saga by killing off Luke Skywalker and the villainous Snoke, played by Andy Serkis. these choices, along with the decision to make Rey's heritage a mystery rather than a legacy, sparked significant backlash from segments of the fanbase.
The controversy was not limited to plot points; it also had real-world consequences for the cast. As reported by The Incomer, the intense reaction to the film's creative direction led actress Kelly Marie Tran, who played Rose Tico, to exit social media following sustained harassmnet. Despite this turbulent history, Gleeson remains an unabashed supporter of Johnson's direction, noting that the film allowed him to fulfill a dual desire to work with the director and participate in the Star Wars universe.
Gleeson’s desire for a longer Hux spy arc
While Gleeson is satisfied with the character's trajectory, he has admitted to having minor creative preferences regarding the role. In the third installment of the trilogy, Hux transitioned from a "sneering fascist bootlicker" into a traitorous spy, driven by a deep-seated animosity toward Kylo Ren, played by Adam Driver.
Gleeson has previously indicated that he would have liked to explore this "spy beat" for a longer duration. However, he has been careful to clarify that his desire for more screen time is not a critique of the filmmakers. He maintains that he is proud of his work and acknowledges that,within the structure of the trilogy, the character's end was inevitable .
The unverified specifics of the Hux-Ren rivalry
Despite the clarity provided by Gleeson's recent comments, several elements of the character's internal motivations remain speculative. while the source highlights the "intense dislike" Hux felt for Kylo Ren, the exact nature of their political and personal friction is never fully detailed on screen. It remains unclear if the spy arc was intended to be a central pillar of a future film or a brief catalyst for the First Order's collapse.
Additionally, because the source focuses primarily on Gleeson's personal satisfaction, the specific creative discussions between Gleeson and Rian Johnson regarding the character's transition to a traitor remain unknown. We are left to wonder how much of Hux's internal rebellion was planned from the beginning of the sequel trilogy versus being an improvisational response to the evolving narrative.
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