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kylo-ren-mask-rise-of-skywalker.jpg

Welp, Now We Know Why Kylo Ren Started Wearing That Stupid Mask Again

By Mike Redmond | Film | January 29, 2020 |

By Mike Redmond | Film | January 29, 2020 |


kylo-ren-mask-rise-of-skywalker.jpg

Even before Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker brutally belly-flopped into theaters last month, there was some head-scratching over why the hell J.J. Abrams would bury Adam Driver’s internet splooge-fest of a face under the same goddamn helmet Rian Johnson just freed him from in the last glorious masterpiece of a film that our dumbass world didn’t deserve. Except there wasn’t too much thought put into the choice because the answer was probably going to be very easy to guess: MERCHANDISING!

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(The kids love it.)

But then Rise of Skywalker plopped into our laps like the wet turd that it is, and pretty soon, people started having questions, lots of questions. Questions that, a month later, are showing no signs of stopping because, seriously, what the f*ck even happened in that movie? However, as the filmmakers continue to talk — for better or worse, Chris Terrio — pieces are slowly starting to fall into place. In this case, the theory that Abrams didn’t put Driver back inside the mask just to piss on The Last Jedi (entirely) or for some bold narrative decision, but as an easy backdoor to change Kylo Ren’s lines during a mad scramble of a production, which has basically been confirmed by sound editor Matt Wood during an Oscars podcast.

After a quick flick o’ the Google, eagle-eyed Star Wars fans were not exactly thrilled to learn that Driver shot his Late Night appearance on November 21, 2019 a.k.a. less than three weeks before Rise of Skywalker’s release. If you want evidence of a nightmare of a production, finding out one of the lead actors practically had to read new lines as the movie was playing is one hell of a smoking gun.

Needless to say, Twitter handled this information accordingly.

And, finally, my personal favorite reaction even though Dustin gave the SNL sketch it’s based on a meager 6 out 10 when it was easily an 8 along with Tampon House. (What? You don’t hold grudges that eat you away inside? Pfft.)



Image sources (in order of posting): Lucasfilm/Disney, MGM