Adam Driver may be one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actors, but there’s one franchise he continues to avoid: the Marvel Cinematic Universe, writes The Hollywood Reporter.
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has revealed that the Oscar-nominated actor has turned down opportunities to join the MCU so many times that it has become an inside joke.
Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz, Feige admitted Marvel has repeatedly tried to bring Driver onboard but without success.
“It’s no secret we’d like to [work with Driver],” Feige said. “But it’s a tradition to Zoom with him and then he passes. That’s a long-lived tradition. He couldn’t be more cordial. He is usually upfront about how he is feeling.”
Feige did not reveal which Marvel roles had been offered to the actor, though Driver has frequently been linked by fans to several high-profile MCU characters over the years.
Most recently, speculation has intensified around Marvel’s upcoming X-Men reboot, with online rumours suggesting Driver could be considered for a major role. However, Marvel has not confirmed any casting.
Reports previously indicated that filmmaker Jake Schreier was in talks to direct the reboot, but the studio has yet to announce its cast.
Driver has built a career balancing blockbuster franchises with critically acclaimed independent films.
While he became globally recognised as Kylo Ren in the Star Wars sequel trilogy—The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
He has also earned praise for performances in films such as Marriage Story, Paterson, Inside Llewyn Davis, House of Gucci, Ferrari and Megalopolis.
His latest project, James Gray’s Paper Tiger, continues that trend of mixing prestige cinema with occasional mainstream productions.
Although the actor has consistently declined Marvel’s offers, he has previously expressed interest in revisiting another major franchise.
Driver had reportedly been attached to a standalone Kylo Ren film with director Steven Soderbergh, but Disney ultimately shelved the project despite support from Lucasfilm.
Meanwhile, Marvel is gearing up for a new era with Avengers: Doomsday, whose recently released trailer teased Robert Downey Jr.’s debut as Doctor Doom alongside a star-studded ensemble.
Whether Driver will eventually change his mind about joining the MCU remains uncertain, but for now, Feige says the annual invitation—and polite rejection—has become something of a tradition.
