When Disney purchased Lucasfilm and announced the development of a new trilogy ofStar Warsfilms in the early 2010s, people were understandably excited. These films would eventually become the sequel trilogy ofEpisode VII – The Force Awakens,Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, andEpisode IX – The Rise of Skywalker. Released in the holiday seasons of 2015, 2017 and 2019, respectively, these three films wound up being immensely divisive forStar Warsfans. Some loved the new characters and the films' approach to introducing new fans to the galaxy far, far away. Meanwhile, others criticized the movies for their lack of a cohesive story and the handling of the core legacy characters, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Leia Organa.
In addition to the return of the original trilogy’s three core characters, theStar Warssequels introduced a new trio of characters to carry the weight of the franchise on their shoulders. Front and center was Rey, a new Jedi played by Daisy Ridley. She was joined by Finn, an ex-stormtrooper turned Resistance hero played by John Boyega, as well as Poe Dameron, a hotshot X-wing pilot and ranking General of the Resistance. Played byOscar Isaac, Dameron quickly became one of the most memorable andstandout aspects of the sequel trilogy. However, over the course of the three films, the character never really lived up to his potential. There was so much more that could have been done with the character, which would have also allowed for Isaac’s acting talents to shine through even more.
Oscar Isaac in the Role
Isaac’s involvement inStar Wars: Episode VIIwas included as part of a much wider casting announcement that was made in early 2014. At that time, the actor had yet to become the major star that he is today. His most famous role was the eponymous lead role in the 2013 Coen Brothers filmInside Llewyn Davis. He had also played small roles in films likeDrive,Sucker Punch,and Ridley Scott’sRobin Hood, but he would still achieve some more recognition for films likeEx MachinaandA Most Violent Yearbefore the release ofThe Force Awakensin late 2015.
When Isaac was cast as Dameon, the plan was for the character to die early on inThe Force Awakens. This likely would’ve been after the opening act of the film, as Finn believes Poe to be dead after their joint escape from the First Order. However, director J.J. Abrams was so impressed with Isaac in the role that the script was re-worked to bring Dameron back in a prominent role throughout the rest of the movie. This was undoubtedly the right decision.
Isaac has an immensely likable on-screen presence. Afterhis incredible performance inInside Llewyn Davis, he was destined for stardom through one avenue or another. Getting him on board forStar Warswas a big win for the franchise. Across all three films, he brought his A-game to the role, and he received a lot of praise for his portrayal of the character – especially inThe Last Jedi. However, given the immense talents of Isaac as a performer, the role itself wasn’t quite up to par. There was a lot of potential in the character’s set-up inThe Force Awakens, but beyond that, Isaac never really got a lot to sink his teeth into.
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What the Character Could’ve Been
Early in the sequel films, Dameron was established essentially as a mix of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker. He was the first hero that we met on-screen inThe Force Awakens, and the character’s personality immediately made a strong impression. He’s got the wit and the sense of humor of Solo, combined with the drive and strong moral compass of Skywalker. He is considered one of the best fighter pilots in the galaxy, and by the beginning ofThe Force Awakens,he had become the Resistance’s go-to person for many of the most important missions. This is made immediately clear by him being the person that Leia trusted to retrieve the map to Luke Skywalker fromLor San Tekka.
Given this set-up for the character, it seemed like Poe was going to be one of the most compelling and important heroes within the sequel trilogy. He was smart, talented, and an overall joy to watch on-screen, with the last of those attributes almost solely a result of Isaac’s performance. It was expected that this would continue to be the case in the following two films, as Poe would grow into a more important leader within the Resistance. In this way, Poe would have served a similar role in the sequels as what Leia did in the original trilogy. He would have acted as the brains of the new trio of characters, simultaneously feeling reminiscent of the original trilogy’s heroes while also bringing his own energy to the series and allowing for Rey and Finn to then have more room to grow into their new roles and continue expanding theStar Warsgalaxy.
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What the Character Actually Was
However, as the sequel trilogy progressed, Poe’s depth and heroism became a less important part of the character, with him becoming a more generic hotshot flyboy with each new movie. ThroughoutThe Last Jedi, Poe is not shown to be the intelligent hero he was depicted as inThe Force Awakens. Instead, he is shown to be overly confident and selfish, and his pursuit of glory results in the decimation of the Resistance fleet. He’s then demoted and shown to be distrusting of the new Resistance leadership throughout the movie, before he eventually realizes his faults and attempts to overcome them.
While this arc for Poe may make sense on paper, and we applaud Rian Johnson for attempting to add more depth and nuance to the character, this story did not gel with the Poe that was introduced inThe Force Awakensvery well. He almost feels like an entirely different character from the first movie to the second, and the person he grows into by the end ofThe Last Jediwas essentially the same character that was already presented in the previous film. From there, J.J. Abrams then continued to do disservice to the character and Isaac throughoutThe Rise of Skywalker, as the role was pushed even further into being a generic cardboard-cutout of a pilot hero who was also responsible for some of the worst dialogue in the film.
Looking at the sequel trilogy as a whole, Poe Dameron is an incredibly uneven character whonever quite finds his footing. He never grows into the great hero that he had the potential to be (or that fans wanted him to be), and Isaac never really got a chance to portray much complexity with the character. Considering the immense talent that Isaac has shown in other films and series, it’s clear to see that the actor’s talents were largely wasted on this role inStar Wars. Isaac has stated recently that he is open to returning to the role as long as there is a great story and director to work with, and he might get that chance with Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s upcomingStar Warsspin-off/sequelcentered around Rey. If Dameron does make a return in this upcoming new movie, we just hope that Isaac is given more to do with the role.
