Adam Driver Reveals Disney Killed Ben Solo Sequel

Summary

• Actor Adam Driver revealed that a sequel focused on Ben Solo (Kylo Ren), titled The Hunt for Ben Solo, was rejected by Disney executives
• The film, which would have explored Solo’s post-Rise of Skywalker arc, had the full creative support of Lucasfilm and director Steven Soderbergh
• Disney vetoed the project due to a literal interpretation of the sequel trilogy’s ending, questioning “how Ben Solo was alive”

Adam Driver has shocked Star Wars fans by revealing that a fully developed sequel film centered on his character, Ben Solo, was shot down by Disney executives despite receiving the green light from Lucasfilm. The film, titled The Hunt for Ben Solo, would have provided a final chapter to the character’s tumultuous redemption arc after his presumed death in The Rise of Skywalker.

Driver revealed in a recent interview with The Associated Press that he, alongside Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh and writer Scott Z. Burns, spent two years meticulously developing the script. Driver, who loved the character, was motivated by a sense of “unfinished business” for the former Kylo Ren. Driver said, “I always was interested in doing another Star Wars. I had been talking about doing another one since 2021. Kathleen [Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm] had reached out. I always said: With a great director and a great story, I’d be there in a second. I loved that character and loved playing him.” After presenting the concept—which aimed for a more intimate, character-driven scale, reminiscent of The Empire Strikes Back—Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy and her team were reportedly enthusiastic and “loved the idea.”

The project, however, did not make it past the corporate gates. When the pitch reached Disney leadership, led by CEO Bob Iger, it was immediately rejected. Driver recalls the executives simply stating they “didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive,” a strictly literal interpretation that fans of the fantastical franchise will find particularly frustrating. Soderbergh confirmed the story, saying he “really enjoyed making the movie in my head” but was “sorry the fans won’t get to see it.”