The Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke is known for playing the powerful Daenerys Targaryen, but after that show ended, her journey through big Hollywood franchises did not go as planned. Clarke recently spoke with Variety about the negative reactions to her roles in Marvel’s Secret Invasion, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and Terminator Genisys. Instead of getting upset, she chose to laugh about it and take full responsibility for her choices.
During the interview on May 29, 2026, Clarke addressed the backlash directly. She did not blame the directors or the studios. She admitted that the fans simply did not like these projects, and she is okay with that.
“I don’t think no one liked that show, guys. I’m sorry!” Clarke said in a goofy voice, referring to Secret Invasion. She 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?”
Emilia Clarke Breaks Down Her Biggest Franchise Misses
Emilia Clarke has had a strange career since leaving the world of Westeros. She took on three major roles in three of the biggest entertainment franchises. Unfortunately, all three projects failed to win over audiences.
First, there was Terminator Genisys in 2015. Clarke played Sarah Connor, a role made famous by Linda Hamilton. The movie was supposed to restart the Terminator series. Instead, it received bad reviews and confused fans with its complicated time travel story. Clarke now jokes that it “should never have happened.”
Then came Solo: A Star Wars Story in 2018. Clarke played Qi’ra, a love interest for a young Han Solo. The film had a troubled production. Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were fired halfway through filming. Ron Howard had to reshoot most of the movie. When it finally came out, it became the first Star Wars movie to lose money at the box office.
Most recently, Clarke joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2023 with the Disney+ series Secret Invasion. She played G’iah, the daughter of Talos. The show ended with her character becoming one of the most powerful beings in the MCU, possessing the abilities of multiple superheroes. But the series got a low 52% critics score and 46% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Clarke joked about the poor reception without any bitterness.
The Avengers Comment That Came Back to Haunt Her
Emilia Clarke’s journey into Marvel was a little ironic because of something she said years earlier. In a 2020 interview with The Times, Clarke talked about wanting to have fun with her career. She said she wanted “to do something absolutely stupid and silly, like, you know, The Avengers or whatever.”
At the time, calling the Avengers movies “stupid and silly” sounded like an insult to superhero films. But Clarke meant it as a compliment. She wanted to be in a movie where she could just “have a giggle with mates.” However, when Secret Invasion finally came out and failed, some fans remembered her old comment. They pointed out that she finally got her wish to do something “silly” with Marvel, but the audience did not enjoy it.
Clarke is not alone in criticizing superhero movies. Famous directors like Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, and Francis Ford Coppola have also spoken negatively about the MCU. But unlike them, Clarke actually joined the franchise.
Why She Does Not Take the Failures Personally
Emilia Clarke has a very healthy way of looking at her career. She told Variety that she stops worrying about a project the moment filming ends. “My connection to a project ends when they say, ‘Picture wrap,’” she explained. “Because it’s not for me to decide what people will think of it.”
She also pointed out that she was entering worlds that already existed. Terminator, Star Wars, and Marvel all had huge fan bases long before she arrived. “I entered into already existing franchises, so when they don’t work out, it’s not personal,” Clarke said.
However, she admitted that she has learned a lesson from these experiences. She told Yahoo News that she needs to be more patient. “I need to wait for the right thing,” she said. She wants to stop saying yes to every big offer just because it is a franchise. Now she wants to pick projects based on whether they interest her personally.
Fans Still Want to See Qi’ra Again
Despite Solo: A Star Wars Story being a box office failure, Emilia Clarke’s character Qi’ra has a dedicated group of fans. The movie ended with Qi’ra choosing to stay with the criminal syndicate Crimson Dawn instead of running away with Han Solo. Many fans have wanted to see what happened to her next.
Clarke knows about this fan support. She laughed about it during her Variety interview. “That Millennium Falcon has sailed,” she joked. “But there’s a lot of fans who have told me personally that they would like to see her again. So we shall see.”
Right now, there are no official plans for Clarke to return to the Star Wars galaxy. Lucasfilm has focused on other time periods and characters. But Clarke has left the door open. She said she would be willing to come back if the right story came along.
Also Read:
What Emilia Clarke Is Doing Now
Emilia Clarke is not sitting around feeling sorry about her franchise movies. She has moved on to smaller, more interesting projects. Her latest work is the spy thriller Ponies, which has received positive attention from critics. This shows that Clarke is following her own advice. She is waiting for the right roles instead of chasing the next big blockbuster.
She has also focused on her charity work. Clarke survived two brain aneurysms while filming Game of Thrones. She started the charity SameYou to help other young people recover from brain injuries. That work has become as important to her as acting.
Also Read: For All Mankind Season 6 Gets 2027 Release Window: Final Season Plot Details and Cast News
For more entertainment news and celebrity updates, keep checking VvipTimes for the latest stories from Hollywood.
