Ben Solo's story could have continued, but Disney and Lucasfilm disagreed.
Actor Adam Driver said that Disney rejected a film about Ben Solo, despite support from Lucasfilm. The project, with the working title The Hunt for Ben Solo, was conceived as a direct sequel to the film "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker."
In an interview with the Associated Press, Driver noted that he discussed returning to the role with Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy back in 2021. According to him, he was ready to play Solo again, provided that the project had a "strong story and a worthy director."
Driver developed the idea for the film together with director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Rebecca Blunt, and later Scott Z. Burns joined them. The actor described the script as "one of the most impressive he had ever participated in."
"We presented the script to Lucasfilm — they liked the idea. They completely understood our concept and the reasons why we wanted to tell this story. Then we turned to Bob Iger and Alan Bergman, but they refused. They didn't understand how Ben Solo could have stayed alive. That's where it ended."
The events of the film were to unfold after "The Rise of Skywalker" and explore the consequences of Ben Solo's redemption, formerly known as Kylo Ren. According to the actor, he wanted to complete the hero's journey in a more intimate, emotionally rich format, without large-scale battles and spectacular finales.
Director Steven Soderbergh added in a comment for AP: "I enjoyed inventing this movie in my head. It's a pity that viewers will never see it."
Representatives from Disney and Lucasfilm did not comment on the situation.
