Oscar Isaac, once the dashing pilot in the recent Star Wars sequels, revealed this week he’s not eager to work with Disney these days. In remarks to GQ, Isaac walked through the minefield created when ABC and Disney suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! after its host aired reckless monologues about the death of Charlie Kirk, a prominent figure on the right. The move “indefinitely” pulled the late-night show. That drew outrage from critics, who labeled it a blatant attack on free speech. Even the reliably left-leaning ACLU called out Disney for crossing the line, with more than 400 celebrities signing their letter of protest.
Among them: Isaac himself.
When pressed about possibly returning as Poe Dameron in more Star Wars movies, Isaac didn’t sound enthusiastic. “Yeah. I mean, I’d be open to it, although right now I’m not so open to working with Disney. But if they can kinda figure it out and, you know, not succumb to fascism, that would be great… if that happens, then yeah, I’d be open to having a conversation about a galaxy far away. Or any number of other things,” he told GQ, referring at the time to them taking Jimmy Kimmel off the air.
For anyone keeping score, this is the same Oscar Isaac who once cited the need to “buy another house or something” as his main reason to ever re-enter the House of Mouse. Back in 2020, Isaac tried passing off his comment as nothing more than media chitchat, saying, “That was a real likable quote. Y’know, people ask you things, you say stuff, you don’t really think about it that much. I said a slightly dickish thing.”
Disney and Lucasfilm stepped away from theaters after the relentless lecture circuit of the sequel trilogy. Now, after plenty of time spent shoveling content on streaming, they’re inching back toward the multiplex. Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter is in production, set five years after the train wreck ending of the Skywalker saga. But before that, fans can expect The Mandalorian & Grogu to hit screens in May 2026. Lucasfilm keeps touting its upcoming films from Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, James Mangold, Taika Waititi, Simon Kinberg, and Dave Filoni, but after Isaac’s latest comments against supposed “fascism,” there’s little reason to expect he’ll sign on again.
It’s not hard to see why these projects struggle at the box office, but when Oscar Isaac hesitates to return, maybe he’s not signaling a protest—maybe he’s just reading the room for once.
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