The Star Wars sequel trilogy proved to be extremely polarizing, but Adam Driver’s performances as Kylo Ren received widespread praise from critics and fans. A direct descendant of the original trilogy’s main heroes, Kylo, aka Ben Solo, quickly became one of the most fascinating figures in the Skywalker Saga. Driver brilliantly conveyed Kylo Ren’s inner turmoil, crafting a villain that felt familiar while simultaneously being a fresh spin on established franchise concepts. Here was a dark side user who aspired to be the next Darth Vader, but he was tempted by the pull of the light. Kylo had a compelling character arc across the trilogy, punctuated by Driver’s emotional scenes alongside Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill.
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Unsurprisingly, Lucasfilm has filled in some of the gaps of Ben Solo’s life in other canon materials — particularly comics, such as the Legacy of Vader series that saw Kylo learn key details about his grandfather. But Driver is such a gifted performer that it would feel like a missed opportunity if the character was never brought back for a screen project. Lucasfilm plans on making new Star Wars movies for the foreseeable future, so if the studio’s interested, there are a few ways Driver could be brought back to the fold.
3) A Kylo Ren Prequel That Leads Into Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Throughout the sequel trilogy, audiences get only small tastes of the life Kylo Ren lived before the events of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The most substantial flashbacks are the Rashomon-inspired sequences of the incident at Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Temple, and there’s so much more there to explore. A prequel film revolving around Kylo Ren could pick up shortly after he turns to the dark side, doing a deep dive into Ben Solo’s fractured psyche as he reconciles with his complex feelings about his family and the ways they failed him. Such a movie could shed additional light on Kylo Ren and make him an even more well-rounded character, perhaps augmenting certain story beats from the sequel trilogy. Plus, in terms of lore building, it would be fascinating to see the inner workings of the First Order at play (with Kylo’s budding rivalry with General Hux a focus).
A Kylo Ren prequel could also be a way for Lucasfilm to make up for one of the biggest missed opportunities in the sequels: the Knights of Ren. There were many fan theories about the Knights as the sequel trilogy was being released, but to many viewers’ disappointment, they only received a small role in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. It would be great to see Kylo spend time interacting with his fellow warriors, building up an intriguing group dynamic that’d be unlike anything seen in a previous Star Wars movie. Like any team-up film, each member could stand out with a unique personality, adding some depth to Ben’s eventual battle against them on Exegol.
2) Somehow, Ben Solo Returns in a Rise of Skywalker Sequel
This is an idea that came close to happening. Driver revealed that he worked with his Logan Lucky director Steven Soderbergh on a spinoff called The Hunt for Ben Solo, which would have taken place after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Driver said the script was “one of the coolest” he ever read. Lucasfilm was keen on making the movie, but Disney ultimately turned the pitch down since the top brass “didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive” following the character’s death at the end of the sequel trilogy.
Given Kylo Ren’s enduring popularity, this is a stance Disney should reconsider. For starters, characters come back from the dead in blockbuster franchises all of the time (including Star Wars), so reversing Ben Solo’s Rise of Skywalker fate wouldn’t be an unprecedented development. Furthermore, Soderbergh is a very smart and talented filmmaker, so he probably put a lot of thought into the concept and angle, finding a way to bring Ben Solo back that made sense. He is one of the more unique voices working in the film industry today, the kind of director Disney/Lucasfilm should be looking to bring aboard as a new era of Star Wars films gets ready to begin. And after Driver made the most of his limited screen time as Ben Solo in The Rise of Skywalker, it would be fun to see him play that version of the character for a full feature. Ben’s only line after turning back to the light side is “Ow,” so Driver deserves another opportunity to bring Ben Solo to life.
1) Ben Solo Force Ghost in the Rey Standalone Movie
If Driver ever does return to the Star Wars franchise, this could be the most realistic possibility. A standalone Rey spinoff movie, tentatively titled Star Wars: New Jedi Order, has been in development for years. Though the project has cycled through multiple writers since it was first announced, Lucasfilm remains committed to getting the film off the ground. Mark Hamill has already said he’s not interested in reprising Luke Skywalker’s Force ghost, so if Rey is going to see any familiar faces who are now one with the Force, Ben Solo would be the likeliest option.
Typically, Force ghosts of wise, old mentors visit their former apprentice to offer words of wisdom during a trying time, so this would be a fresh spin on an established franchise trope. Ben Solo is essentially a peer of Rey, which would give this Force ghost interaction an entirely different dynamic. As Rey struggles to get her new Jedi Temple off the ground, Ben could appear to give his new friend some encouragement. Bringing Ben back in this capacity would add some weight to his redemption arc, as he’d be helping build something new years after he infamously destroyed Luke’s temple. He may not be as old as Luke or Yoda, but Ben learned plenty from his experiences and could be an asset to Rey. If Lucasfilm doesn’t want to go with a Force ghost, Ben could always appear as part of a Force dyad vision, fleshing out a cool concept from The Rise of Skywalker.
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