Star Wars fans were dealt a big blow this week when sequel trilogy star Adam Driver detailed a scrapped spinoff he was developing alongside director Steven Soderbergh. The two pitched a film titled The Hunt for Ben Solo, which was set after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, to Lucasfilm. While Lucasfilm was interested in the idea, Disney executives shot it down; in Driver’s words, they “didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive” following the character’s death in The Rise of Skywalker. That seemingly dashed any hopes of getting The Hunt for Ben Solo made, but some people are remaining hopeful that the film will eventually come to fruition, citing Marvel movie history.
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On X, user @hauntxmexthen recalled the long and winding journey Deadpool took to the big screen. It seems funny to think about now, but at one point, 20th Century Fox wasn’t interested in a standalone Deadpool feature; it didn’t get the green light until Reynolds infamously leaked test footage and there was a groundswell of fan support for the project. “I think Adam Driver knows exactly what he’s doing,” @hauntxmexthen wrote, drawing a parallel between the actor’s comments and Reynolds’ test footage stunt.
In the thread, commenters are split on whether or not there will be a Deadpool-style campaign for The Hunt for Ben Solo. Some feel Deadpool was a more in-demand title and was able to ride that wave. “Yeah except there’s ZERO measurable demand for this s***. Ryan had something mass audiences wanted. Star Wars is already a corpse and that’s that,” wrote @ValliantRenegad. Agreeing with that sentiment, @namratrm wrote, “But Deadpool had major backing of Marvel’s fanbase behind him….do you think Adam has that backing?”
Others are more optimistic. “Always always believe in fandom power. [Especially] in times like this, when people are not going to cinemas, and condemning many projects by [Marvel] & [Star Wars],” said @galatians_4_6. “We need to leak the art pieces that were made,” wrote @Ok677677, believing additional leaks could get the project off the ground.
Will The Hunt for Ben Solo Be Star Wars’ Deadpool?
It’s easy to understand the line of thinking of both sects of fans. Over the past decade, there have been some high-profile instances of fan campaigns getting movies across the finish line. Deadpool is a famous example, but there was also Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Studios have demonstrated they will listen to fans in particular situations. It’s unknown if Driver is trying to use the media to create support for his proposed project or was just bemoaning a missed opportunity, but he very easily could have chosen to say nothing. Instead, he called attention to an intriguing spinoff from one of the industry’s most respected directors.
Driver’s comments come at a time when Lucasfilm is attempting to iron out a new Star Wars film slate. The Mandalorian & Grogu and Star Wars: Starfighter are on the docket for the next two years, but beyond that, nothing is scheduled. Lucasfilm says there are several movies in various stages of development, but they seem to keep running into roadblocks on previously announced projects like New Jedi Order and Dawn of the Jedi. What makes The Hunt for Ben Solo different from those is that it has a finished script Lucasfilm was on board with, it was Disney who nixed it. If Lucasfilm continues to have behind-the-scenes issues, perhaps they’ll look to revisit an old pitch and see if they have better luck getting that off the ground.
The more pessimistic fans make sound points as well, however. The sequel trilogy proved to be very divisive from a storytelling perspective, with The Rise of Skywalker ending the Skywalker Saga on an uneven note. There are probably some fans and viewers who would rather see Star Wars expand and tell tales about new characters (which looks to be what’s happening with Starfighter) instead of once again focusing on someone from the Skywalker family. At the same time, Kylo Ren quickly became one of the more popular Star Wars characters, so he’s one figure audiences may not mind seeing again — especially considering how talented a performer Driver is.
Where the Deadpool comparison starts to fall apart is the fact that there isn’t anything concrete circulating around the internet — something that would truly resonate with fans by giving them a taste of what the film would have been. Deadpool wouldn’t have gotten off the ground without that test footage, which essentially acted as an unofficial teaser by establishing the film’s tone and approach. Once people got that small glimpse, they were eager to see more. Just hearing Driver talk about The Hunt for Ben Solo may not be enough to inspire a passionate fan campaign. There needs to be something more.
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