Emilia Clarke is being blunt about her rough run through some of Hollywood’s biggest franchises, including Marvel, Star Wars, and Terminator.
In a new interview with Variety, the Game of Thrones star addressed the poor reception to Secret Invasion, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and Terminator Genisys, admitting the projects didn’t land with fans.
“I don’t think no one liked that show, guys. I’m sorry!” Clarke said about Secret Invasion in what Variety described as a goofy voice.
She then added: “‘Star Wars’? They didn’t like it. ‘Terminator’? That should never have happened. But these were jobs I said yes to, you know what I mean?”
Clarke also said the backlash wasn’t something she took personally.
“I entered into already existing franchises,” she said, “so when they don’t work out, it’s not personal.”
Emilia Clarke Knows Secret Invasion Didn’t Work
Clarke played G’iah in Marvel’s Secret Invasion, the Disney+ series that became one of the MCU’s biggest TV misses.
The show was released in 2023 and starred Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, with the story centered on a Skrull infiltration of Earth. Instead of giving fans the paranoia-fueled Marvel event many expected, the series ended up becoming another example of Marvel’s Disney+ problems.
Secret Invasion currently sits at 53% from critics and 43% from fans on Rotten Tomatoes.
Clarke’s G’iah also became one of the more debated parts of the finale after the character gained a ridiculous amount of powers from various MCU heroes and villains.
The show also revealed Rhodey had been replaced by a Skrull, a twist that only created more questions about how long War Machine had been compromised.
Secret Invasion also came right before Marvel started rethinking how it handles TV.
After shows like She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel, and Secret Invasion failed to generate the kind of response Marvel was used to getting, the studio started overhauling its TV approach.
Solo Remains A Low Point For Star Wars
Clarke also brought up Star Wars, where she played Qi’ra in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Solo was supposed to be a major Han Solo prequel, but it became the lowest-grossing Star Wars movie of all time, finishing with $392.9 million worldwide. The movie was also hit by major behind-the-scenes drama, with Ron Howard replacing original directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.
At the time, Solo was viewed as a wake-up call for Disney and Lucasfilm.
Now, The Mandalorian & Grogu could end up taking the title as the lowest-grossing Star Wars movie if it keeps underperforming, but Solo remains the franchise’s most infamous theatrical bomb.
Clarke Says Terminator Genisys “Should Never Have Happened”
Clarke was even harder on Terminator Genisys, saying the 2015 movie “should never have happened.”
She played Sarah Connor in the reboot, which tried to relaunch the Terminator franchise with Arnold Schwarzenegger back in the mix. It didn’t work.
Terminator Genisys made $440.6 million worldwide, but it disappointed domestically with only $89.7 million in North America. The movie also took a beating from critics, sitting at 26% on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 52% audience score.
The film was supposed to start a new trilogy, but those plans went nowhere. Hollywood later tried again with Terminator: Dark Fate, which also failed.
Clarke Is Saying No More Often
The interesting part is Clarke doesn’t sound bitter. She sounds honest.
She took the jobs. The movies and shows didn’t work. Fans rejected them. She knows it.
Variety notes Clarke has since changed how she approaches her career, with the actress saying she had to start saying “no” more often.
“I said no to a lot,” Clarke said. “I need to wait for the right thing.”
