Disney Was Wrong to Shut Down Adam Driver's Ben Solo Idea

The Star Wars fandom was stunned to learn recently that we were incredibly close to seeing Adam Driver return to the franchise in a new movie about Ben Solo. But as exciting as that sounds, the news was bittersweet and the anticipation short-lived, as it turns out Disney does not want to move ahead with the project.

As one of the key figures in the sequel trilogy and one of the most popular characters we’ve ever seen in the Star Wars movies, it feels like a no-brainer that this idea would quickly have made its way to the big screen.

However, while films like The Mandalorian and Grogu and Shawn Levy’s Ryan Gosling-led Star Wars: Starfighter prepare to fly into our lives from a galaxy far, far away, The Hunt for Ben Solo remains grounded… at least for now.

What We Know About The Ben Solo Movie Pitch

The news of the proposed project first broke in an Associated Press interview with Adam Driver, in which the actor shared plenty of details to get tongues wagging.

Tentatively titled The Hunt for Ben Solo, this was essentially two years of Driver’s life that went into shaping the project with the help of acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh, whom he first took the idea to.

On the development, Driver said: “I always was interested in doing another Star Wars. I had been talking about doing another one since 2021. Kathleen [Kennedy] 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.”

It sounds like he found both those elements – and then some. Set after The Rise of Skywalker, the story rested on the idea of Ben Solo completing his redemption arc after the disappointment of Episode IX.

Soderberg and screenwriter Rebecca Blunt pitched the idea to Lucasfilm chiefs, who were sold. In came Scott Z. Burns, who previously wrote the Driver-led movie The Report, to pen the script, which resulted in what Driver described as “one of the coolest f—ing scripts I had ever been a part of.”

However, that’s when the project hit a Disney-shaped bump in the road. Driver added: “We presented the script to Lucasfilm. They loved the idea. They totally understood our angle and why we were doing it. 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.”

Ben Solo Needs Closure From Another Star Wars Film

When Kylo Ren was introduced in The Force Awakens, I was awestruck. I know you’re not supposed to root for the villains, but from the moment he ransacked the village of Tuanul on Jakku, I couldn’t help but feel we finally had a character who could rival Darth Vader as the most badass in the Star Wars franchise.

He then goes on such a fascinating and surprising character arc in The Last Jedi. His moral compass and dedication to the Dark Side are tested by the shining light of Rey, proving he was far more than just a Vader fan boy. This was a rich, nuanced, layered character who had the potential to either be gloriously redeemed or to burn it all to the ground in a defiant fit of hatred. Either way, we looked set for a phenomenal ending to the Skywalker Saga.

Unfortunately, the divisive Rian Johnson film well and truly tore the franchise apart. As a result, Disney was left second-guessing what its audience wanted from the sequel trilogy closer rather than delivering what the characters deserved. Kylo Ren’s turn to the Light Side in The Rise of Skywalker ultimately boiled down to him fighting and defeating the Knights of Ren, sacrificing himself for Rey, and fading away into dust, all while having one single, useless piece of dialogue (I’m not even sure saying ‘Ow’ really counts as a line…).

The Rise of Skywalker is, without a doubt, the most disappointing experience I’ve ever had in a cinema. It should have been the crowning glory and the fitting end to my all-time favourite movie series, and instead, it made me wish Disney had never bothered. In my eyes, the Skywalker Saga ends at Episode VIII.

Ben Solo deserved better, and Disney now has the perfect chance to make up for it. So why are they fumbling the ball?

Disney Passed On a Golden Idea By Saying No To a Ben Solo Film

One thing has become glaringly obvious in the wake of this revelation from Driver, and that is that fans would have turned out in their droves to see this.

While the trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu still hasn’t hit 10 million views on YouTube at the time of writing, we’ve already seen the fandom unite to form petitions, create fan-made trailers, and even arrange for a plane to fly over Disney Studios with a message reading, ‘Save the Hunt for Ben Solo. '

At a time when Disney doesn’t seem to have its finger on the pulse as to what fans want, it’s ironic that the House of Mouse was quite literally handed a golden ticket, and they tore it up and tossed it out.

The Hunt for Ben Solo could well have been one of the best Disney Star Wars projects to date. Instead, it’ll have to remain a figment of our imagination – unless Adam Driver can perform some Jedi mind tricks on Bob Iger and Co..