The “Game of Thrones” star believes she needs to be more patient in picking projects.

Emilia Clarke admits her Star Wars, Terminator, and Marvel projects weren’t ‘liked’: ‘I’m sorry!’

The "Game of Thrones" star believes she needs to be more patient in picking projects.

By Derek Lawrence

Derek Lawrence

Derek Lawrence is a former associate editor at **. He left EW in 2022.

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May 29, 2026 12:25 p.m. ET

Emilia Clarke in 'Solo: A Star Wars Story,' 'Terminator Genisys,' and 'Secret Invasion'. Credit:

- Emilia Clarke is reflecting on the disappointing results of three major projects.

- The *Game of Thrones* star struggled to replicate that success with *Terminator Genisys*, *Solo: A Star Wars Story*, and *Secret Invasion*.

- Clarke admits that she needs to "wait for the right thing."

*Game of Thrones* turned Emilia Clarke into a star, but she's aware that her subsequent forays into blockbuster genre projects didn't go as well.

After breaking out as Daenerys Targaryen on the HBO phenomenon, Clarke landed high-profile opportunities in 2015's *Terminator Genisys*, 2018's *Solo: A Star Wars Story*, and 2023's Marvel series *Secret Invasion*. And the actress isn't hiding from the lack of enthusiasm from those established fandoms.

"I think no one liked that show," she admitted to *Variety* of *Secret Invasion*. "I'm sorry!"

She continued, "*Star Wars*? They didn't like it. *Terminator*? That should never have happened. But these were jobs I said yes to."

Clarke at the premiere of 'Ponies' in Jan. 2026.

John Nacion/WireImage

In *Terminator Genisys*, the Arnold Schwarzenegger–led reboot featured Clarke taking on the challenge of following Linda Hamilton's iconic performance as Sarah Connor, the mother of humanity's future savior. The fifth *Terminator* film scored a 26 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and planned sequels were canceled following its disappointing box office returns.

Then, in 2018, she starred in the *Star Wars* prequel *Solo* as Qi'ra, the love interest of a young Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich). Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were fired during filming, and the eventual critical and commercial reception didn't warrant *Solo* being one of the most expensive movies ever made.

More recently, Clarke returned to TV and entered the MCU in 2023 as G'iah, who ended up being one of the most powerful characters in all of Marvel. Too bad the show couldn't muster up much excitement from a fandom that seemed fatigued by a run of mediocre content.

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“I entered into already existing franchises, so when they don’t work out, it’s not personal," Clarke said. “My connection to a project ends when they say, ‘Picture wrap.’ Because it’s not for me to decide what people will think of it.”

She adds, moving forward, "I need to wait for the right thing."

Well, Clarke may have already found it, having released the delightfully charming *Ponies* earlier this year, with the Peacock spy thriller currently sitting at a 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

- Sci-Fi & Fantasy Movies

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Sci-Fi”