More Details Revealed After Disney Unceremoniously Kills ‘Star Wars’ Movie

It has been months since Disney quietly shut the door on a proposed return to one of Star Wars’ most divisive characters, yet the decision continues to ripple through the fandom.

The post–Skywalker Saga era of Star Wars has been rocky, to say the least. While all three installments were successful at the box office, critical responses varied – especially for The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019).

Several characters also divided fans, including Ben Solo. Introduced as Kylo Ren, he became one of the sequel trilogy’s most debated elements, praised for complexity and criticized for narrative inconsistency. His arc ended definitively, at least on screen, in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Yet even finality has never been absolute in this galaxy.

In 2025, Adam Driver revealed that he had developed a new Star Wars film centered on Ben Solo alongside director Steven Soderbergh. The project, titled The Hunt for Ben Solo, would have taken place after the Skywalker Saga’s conclusion.

“I loved that character and loved playing him,” Driver told AP News. “We presented the script to Lucasfilm. They loved the idea. … We took it to Bob Iger and Alan Bergman and they said no. They didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive. And that was that.”

The proposed film would have followed Ben after his apparent death, exploring the consequences of his redemption. In The Rise of Skywalker, Ben saves Rey, shares a brief kiss, and vanishes, completing a journey that began with patricide and ended in self-sacrifice.

Backlash Against ‘The Hunt for Ben Solo’ Cancellation Continues

Historically, Star Wars has been far less strict with mortality. Darth Maul survived being cut in half. Emperor Palpatine “somehow” returned despite a definitive on-screen death. Against that backdrop, the rejection of Ben Solo’s survival struck many as inconsistent.

Fans responded with anger, particularly given the character’s popularity. For some, Ben Solo represented the trilogy’s emotional core, a bridge between legacy characters and a new generation. The decision to close that chapter permanently felt abrupt.

New details later emerged following comments from Steven Soderbergh, who addressed the cancellation after Kathleen Kennedy described the script as “great.” Speaking to BKMag, the director confirmed the creative team’s disappointment.

“That was two and a half years of free work for me and Adam and Rebecca Blunt,” Soderbergh said. “When Adam and I discussed him talking about it publicly, I said, ‘Look, do not editorialize or speculate about the why. Just say what happened, because all we know is what happened.’”

He continued, “The stated reason was ‘We don’t think Ben Solo could be alive.’ And that was all we were told. And so there’s nothing to do about it, you know, except move on.”

Speculation had circulated that budget concerns killed the project. The sequel trilogy carried enormous price tags, while newer theatrical efforts, including The Mandalorian & Grogu, were developed more conservatively.

Soderbergh dismissed that theory. “I thought the conversation was strictly going to be a practical one – where they go, what is this going to cost?” he said. “And I had a really good answer for that. But it never even got to that point. It’s insane. We’re all very disappointed.”

He added, “I’d kind of made the movie in my head, and just felt bad that nobody else was going to get to see it.”

What Happens Next For Ben Solo?

Despite the cancellation, enthusiasm around Ben Solo has not faded. Fans organized campaigns that ranged from symbolic missing-person posters to a plane flying over the Walt Disney Studios lot with the message, “Save the Hunt for Ben Solo.”

Industry observers have taken note. The Hollywood Reporter suggested that “a sequel-sequel trilogy feels inevitable,” citing the intensity of fan interest and the franchise’s reliance on familiar figures.

Speculation was further fueled by a line in a recent Star Wars comic declaring, “The Reign Ends. The Fall Begins. Kylo Ren… Will Return.”

Cast members have also acknowledged the situation. Daisy Ridley confirmed she had heard rumors of the project before Driver spoke publicly. “I have lots of friends who are crew, so things always travel like that,” she told IGN in December.

“But, whoa! When the story came out, no, I was like, ‘Oh, my God!’ And it was him that said it, right?” Ridley said. “It was funny because, like, ‘Oh, wow, Adam is saying it,’ and that’s the big surprise of the year.”

Ridley is currently attached to a standalone Star Wars film announced in 2023, set roughly 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker. The project follows Rey as she attempts to rebuild the Jedi Order.

That film has faced repeated delays and creative changes, cycling through multiple screenwriters. No release date has been set, and Ridley has suggested that updates are unlikely in 2026, though she maintains it will be “worth the wait.”

Some fans believe the instability surrounding the Rey project hints at an earlier connection to The Hunt for Ben Solo. Others hope Lucasfilm could eventually merge the concepts, bringing Driver back alongside Ridley.

What do you think (or hope) the future of Star Wars has in store for Ben Solo?