Domhnall Gleeson called General Hux’s 2019 death in The Rise of Skywalker “Devastating,” and said he was sad to leave Star Wars. The comment came as he discussed The Incomer, which is set to hit theaters on September 25, 2026.
General Hux in 2019
“Devastating. Absolutely devastating. I wanted to be in that more and they killed me off. But they had to. And actually, if you're going to die, having Richard E. Grant be the one who blasts you across a black corridor, that's pretty cool. Yes, I was happy it was Richard who did it, but I was sad to go,” Gleeson said in a conversation about The Incomer. That is the bluntest possible version of what happened to a villain whose arc began with Starkiller Base in The Force Awakens and ended with General Pryde pulling the trigger in The Rise of Skywalker.
Richard E. Grant in IX
Gleeson’s reaction carries more weight because the death was not just a plot beat; it closed the door on a role he wanted to keep playing. He also said the stunt performer handled the big drag back in the scene, while he covered the fall back himself. “They pulled me back on some of it and I had to do a fall back, but the big drag back was a stunt performer who did a great job,” he said.
Star Wars after The Last Jedi
The sequel trilogy had already been under strain after backlash to The Last Jedi, and Disney and Lucasfilm were managing that pressure by the time Star Wars Episode IX reached release. J.J. Abrams finished The Rise of Skywalker after Colin Trevorrow had initially been set to helm a version of IX titled Duel of the Fates, which makes Hux’s abrupt exit feel like part of a wider reset rather than a character beat with much runway.
For viewers who followed Hux across the trilogy, Gleeson’s comments settle the practical question: he did not want the part to end that way, but he accepted the logic of the scene and the choice of opponent. That leaves The Incomer as the near-term item to watch, with September 25, 2026 now the date attached to his next theatrical turn.
