After Killing Ben Solo Film, Disney Pulls Kylo Ren From Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Changes continue to take shape across the Star Wars franchise, as Disney quietly adjusts how it presents one of the sequel trilogy’s most prominent characters.

The adjustments come during a period of reassessment for Disney and Lucasfilm, as the studio weighs how best to balance newer characters with the franchise’s original mythology. That process has affected projects both on screen and within Disney’s parks.

For fans tracking the sequel era closely, the shifts have been incremental but noticeable. Film plans have slowed, timelines have been reconsidered, and familiar settings have begun to reflect a broader cross-section of the franchise’s history.

Only recently have those changes converged around a single character — Kylo Ren.

Kylo Ren and the Sequel Trilogy Legacy

In late 2025, actor Adam Driver confirmed that a planned solo film centered on Kylo Ren, also known as Ben Solo, had been shelved. The project, titled The Hunt For Ben Solo, had reportedly progressed through early development.

According to Driver, Disney CEO Bob Iger and Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman halted the film amid internal uncertainty. Questions reportedly centered on how the character could plausibly return following the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).

The decision ended speculation about Kylo Ren’s near-term return to the big screen. While Lucasfilm has not ruled out future appearances, no revised plans for the character have been announced.

Kylo Ren was introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) as the primary antagonist of the sequel trilogy, portrayed as a conflicted figure attempting to emulate Darth Vader. His arc unfolded unevenly across films directed by different creative teams.

In Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), the character’s internal struggle took center stage, challenging traditional villain archetypes. The Rise of Skywalker later moved the character toward redemption, culminating in Ben Solo’s death after saving Rey, played by Daisy Ridley.

Audience response to that trajectory was mixed. Some viewers found the resolution rushed, while others saw it as one of the trilogy’s more emotionally grounded elements.

Changes Reach Galaxy’s Edge

The reassessment has now extended to Disney’s theme parks.

Disney confirmed this week that Kylo Ren will be removed from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park as the land transitions away from its strict sequels-only timeline.

Galaxy’s Edge originally opened with a strict narrative setting between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. Disney is now broadening that scope to include characters from the original trilogy.

Planned additions include Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa (in a controversial new outfit), Han Solo, and Darth Vader. Vader is expected to appear on Batuu as part of storylines set during the original trilogy era.

Because Kylo Ren exists decades later in the Star Wars timeline, Disney has opted to remove the character rather than depict him alongside Darth Vader.

As a result, Kylo Ren will no longer appear in spontaneous encounters within the land, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Reaction among fans has been divided. “Remember like 4 weeks ago when the entire internet was rallying behind a Ben Solo movie and Disney’s response is to….. remove Kylo Ren from Disneyland,” wrote one fan on X, formerly Twitter.

Another user posted, “I don’t see any reason to get rid of Kylo lol he was so fun.”

“A big f**k you to Disney today,” another wrote. “After months of fan outcry begging for The Hunt for Ben Solo, they decided to SHELVE Kylo Ren at the parks & announced that Galaxy’s Edge will undergo an original trilogy makeover.”

Disney has confirmed that Kylo Ren will not disappear entirely. Beginning in April, the character will relocate to the Disney Visa character experience in Tomorrowland, offering guests a more structured meet-and-greet setting.

No further announcements have been made regarding Kylo Ren’s future in film or television. While some fans continue to speculate about a possible return connected to Rey’s planned standalone project, Lucasfilm has not commented.

What do you think of Kylo Ren’s removal from Galaxy’s Edge?