Adam Driver says he’s done with Star Wars and Kylo Ren, but would be open to a return if someone revived his canceled solo film.
Last year, Adam Driver and director Steven Soderbergh dropped a bombshell on Star Wars fans: They were working on a new film centered around Kylo Ren. It was meant to be a sequel to The Rise of Skywalker, which would have resurrected the somewhat redeemed sequel trilogy antagonist. However, Disney said no… because they couldn’t buy into Kylo Ren coming back from the dead. The film was tentatively titled The Hunt for Ben Solo, and Star Wars leadership like Kathleen Kennedy also backed the project, but the bosses at Disney weren’t as convinced.
Driver and Soderbergh developed the film for two years and seemed to be pretty passionate about it. However, Driver has given up hope of it ever happening, even in spite of fan campaigns. When speaking on The Rich Eisen Show, Driver was asked if he had a future in Star Wars. He stated that it was “over” and there would be “no more Star Wars” for him.
Eisen asked if he would come back if The Hunt for Ben Solo were revived by Disney, and Driver said that he would, but he believes “the ship has sailed.” This aligns with Lucasfilm boss Dave Filoni saying the movie was not in active development earlier this summer. As a result, you probably shouldn’t hold out hope for this film ever getting made. Despite the fact that fans are consistently in a state of fury about the status of the Star Wars franchise and this movie was something they all rallied behind, Disney isn’t interested.
It’s also possible that Disney is trying to move on from the sequel trilogy, which got a progressively sour reputation with each installment. Disney is currently working on Star Wars Episode 10, with Spider-Man: No Way Home director Jon Watts in the driver’s seat. It’s unclear if the likes of Rey or Finn will reprise their roles in the project, or if Disney is going to create more distance between those films.
Steven Soderbergh has moved on from Star Wars and is now helping direct the final weeks of production on The Batman Part 2. The Oscar-winning filmmaker stepped in to help Matt Reeves, who had to depart the production during filming due to a personal matter. Soderbergh is working under the direction and vision of Reeves, with the intent to pass the baton back to him for post-production. Soderbergh himself has expressed disinterest in returning to The Hunt for Ben Solo, believing if it was going to happen, it would’ve already happened.
Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN’s news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.
