Star Wars fans have spent the past few days daydreaming of Adam Driver returning to play Ben Solo again in a new movie. That’s because none other than Driver himself recently discussed his failed pitch for The Hunt for Ben Solo, a spinoff the actor was developing with director Steven Soderbergh. Despite Lucasfilm being keen on the idea, Disney didn’t give it a green light, and the film was scrapped. Still, in the wake of Driver’s comments, some fans are hoping that there perhaps is still a chance he could come back to the franchise — perhaps in a different project if The Hunt for Ben Solo is dead. But based on the latest information, a Ben Solo return is not in the cards.
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In the same newsletter that detailed David Fincher’s failed attempt to get a Star Wars movie off the ground, industry insider Jeff Sneider shared that he asked sources if Driver’s comments were the actor’s way of using the media to campaign for a return. “I was assured that there are no plans for him to return to the Star Wars franchise, especially with [Kathleen] Kennedy expected to step down from her post early next year,” Sneider wrote.
Lucasfilm Changes Could Prevent Adam Driver’s Star Wars Return
It’s important to note that nothing official has been said about Kennedy stepping down from her current position as Lucasfilm president. There were rumblings earlier in the year, but Kennedy quickly addressed the rumors by stating she is not retiring. She plans to keep making movies for the foreseeable future and remains heavily involved at Lucasfilm, producing movies The Mandalorian & Grogu and Star Wars: Starfighter. Kennedy did note that she’s talked with Disney executives Bob Iger and Alan Bergman “about what eventual succession might look like” and is working with them to identify possible replacements. She has not provided a window for when her mysterious successor will take over.
If Kennedy is planning on stepping down in the relatively near future (Starfighter is two years away, after all), changes behind the scenes could have an impact on the Star Wars movie slate. While Kennedy will be involved with picking her successor, the new Lucasfilm president could have their own ideas for the direction of the franchise (just like George Lucas had his own, different ideas for the sequel trilogy) and decide to pursue different types of projects. Perhaps there will be an emphasis on creating new characters to tell stories in another part of the Star Wars timeline, leaving Skywalker family members behind for the foreseeable future.
While that’s an exciting prospect that has a lot of potential (it would be great if James Mangold’s Dawn of the Jedi epic eventually comes to fruition), some fans will still consider it a missed opportunity if Driver never comes back to Star Wars. He’s one of the finest actors the franchise has ever had, and Kylo Ren was one of the most fascinating figures in the sequel trilogy. If Driver is game for a return, Lucasfilm should find a way to do it. The sequels only cover a year of development, so there’s still much to explore in Kylo’s life on screen. If a Force Awakens prequel is out of the question, Driver deserves a legitimate opportunity to play Ben Solo post-Rise of Skywalker. After Ben’s turn back to the light, Driver didn’t have much to do, so it’d be nice to see him flesh out a different side of his character.
Having Ben Solo return as a Force ghost in Star Wars: New Jedi Order (which chronicles Rey’s attempt to start a new Jedi Temple) would make sense given Ben’s history with Rey. But based on the latest update, it seems like even that isn’t on the table right now. There’s still a chance that could change, however, New Jedi Order has had a tumultuous development, cycling through multiple writers as Lucasfilm attempts to crack the story. As the narrative continues to be developed, someone could find a way to bring Ben Solo back into the fold.
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