A New Character Was Originally Going To Die In Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Thankfully J.J. decided to keep them around.

By Dan Woburn /

In an interview with GQ, Oscar Isaac has copped to the fact that his character, Poe Dameron, was originally meant to die in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Isaac has spoken of his initial meetings with J.J. Abrams for the role, where he got suitably pumped up, until J.J. told him that he dies fairly near the start of the movie. Although initially hesitant, Isaac returned home and mulled it over:
€œI went back home , and I thought about it... Then I wrote him and said, €˜Okay. I€™ll do it!€™ I figured it would be a cameo: I€™ll come in, do my thing, and maybe it€™s actually better not to have to sign myself up for three movies.€
Luckily, by the time he had thought it over, JJ wrote him and said, €œNever mind. I€™ve figured it out. You€™re in the whole movie now.€ And that is why we now have the joy of badass Han Solo-successor Poe Dameron being in the picture from start to finish (give or take a middle). I find it obvious where Dameron was intended to die; the initial TIE Fighter crash with Finn on Jakku. After all, it did feel a tad easy when he simply turns up again for the climactic battle with no explanation as to how he scored a lift off of that dustball of a planet. Personally I think he was one of the best parts of a movie that was comprised of a lot of great stuff. His easy camraderie with Finn, his resolve in the face of Kylo Ren's torture, his f*ck-yeah moments in his X-Wing and his charming, affable nature in general all worked to make him a pleasing character to follow. Here's hoping Isaac gets more to do in Episode VIII - I'm really thankful that it was decided he'd be kept around to participate and not be wasted in a pointless death. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is out now.