Emilia Clarke is a phenomenal actress who will forever be remembered for playing Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones. Not only is it considered one of the best peak TV era shows, but the British actress received four Emmy nominations for playing the Mother of Dragons. However, Clarke would be the first to admit that not every project she's done has been a hit. To that end, she didn’t exactly hold back on her Marvel and Star Wars gigs being negatively received. And I see where she’s coming from.
Critics and fans may have loved Game of Thrones’ epic run, but they didn’t exactly feel the same way with Emilia Clarke’s forays into other massive franchises. The London native was also cast in Terminator Genisys as Sarah Connor, joined the Star Wars universe via Solo: A Star Wars Story and scored a major role in Marvel’s Secret Invasion series. While none of those projects were highly praised, Clarke shared a refreshingly honest take with Variety:
I don’t think no one liked that show, guys. I’m sorry! ‘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?
There’s no denying that Solo underperformed at the box office, with its reception being worse than Disney anticipated. Also, the Rotten Tomatoes scores for every episode of Secret Invasion scream “yikes,” with numbers as high as 52% and as low as 10%. Terminator Genisys didn’t do any better, being one of the lowest-rated movies from the franchise at 26% and a box office bomb. However, Clarke admitted she was “relieved” of the movie’s underperformance if it meant not having to do another sequel.
Sometimes, the popularity of a franchise doesn't guarantee a film's success. At the same time, though, Clarke also explained about why she wouldn't let criticism or box office bombs get to her:
I entered into already existing franchises, so when they don’t work out, it’s not personal.
That’s a great way of looking at it. I’d like to believe it would have been more disappointing if Game of Thrones hadn’t done well, since Emilia Clarke and her cast were at the forefront of a new TV franchise inspired by George R.R. Martin's fantasy book series. So, all in all, the Star Wars, Terminator and the MCU franchises haven't defined Clarke's career, and I'd like to think she'll still get plenty of other offers down the road.
Fortunately, Emilia Clarke started the year right with the Peacock spy thriller series Ponies, which got strong reactions from critics in the best way. With a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, the show is proof that the Emmy nominee does well with material where she can lead a project on her own terms.
The Me Before You star also has plenty of upcoming projects she’s revved up for. For example, not only does she star in the 2026 movie schedule release Next Life, but she’s also be the producer. Clarke will also be in the upcoming Amazon Prime crime series Criminals, in which Clarke plays an armed robber who's “all tits and gold chains.” Given Clarke's post-GoT work, I have a feeling Daenerys Targaryn won’t be the only memorable role in her filmography by the time her career is all said and done.
Of course, there's also still the chance that Emilia Clarke could land a role in yet another major IP. Whether or not she would accept, though, is unclear. Still, if anything, I’m glad Clarke doesn’t take the poor criticism of her past projects personally and that she continues to land work that highlights her exceptional acting skills.
