The Force isn’t with Adam Driver this time. The Oscar nominee, who played Kylo Ren/Ben Solo in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, just revealed that he and director Steven Soderbergh spent two years developing a standalone film centered on the character — only for it to be rejected by Disney.
The project, tentatively titled “The Hunt for Ben Solo“, was pitched after the events of The Rise of Skywalker. Though he says the script was “one of the coolest (expletive) scripts I had ever been a part of,” Driver revealed that Disney executives Bob Iger and Alan Bergman declined the film because “they didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive.”
The “Megalopolis” star said his conversation with Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy back in 2021 opened the door.
“I always said: With a great director and a great story, I’d be there in a second,” he shared.
The development team — Soderbergh, Rebecca Blunt (pseudonym for his spouse Jules Asner), and writer Scott Z. Burns — constructed a lean, character-driven follow-up to the trilogy that Lucasfilm loved. But at the corporate level, the logic ended there.
“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,” Driver explained.
The film would have explored the whereabouts of Ben Solo after he sacrifices himself at the end of The Rise of Skywalker, delving into redemption, identity, and perhaps resurrection—bold territory for the Star Wars universe. But for Disney, resurrecting Ben’s character seemed too tangled.
Known for his standout performances in “Marriage Story“, “Paterson”, and “Ferrari“, Driver brought gravitas and complexity to Kylo Ren, making him one of the most compelling characters in the modern saga. That he spent two years reimagining an alternate future for his doomed character is a testament to his deep affinity for Star Wars. Too bad the studio had other plans — that includes the upcoming “The Mandalorian & Grogu” movie, set to hit theaters in May 22, 2026.