Adam Driver Closes the Book on Kylo Ren as ‘The Hunt for Ben Solo’ Stays Dead and the ‘Star Wars’ Door Slams Shut

Few characters from the ‘Star Wars’ sequel era have inspired as much passion as Kylo Ren. Adam Driver played the conflicted villain in ‘The Force Awakens’ and ‘The Last Jedi’, and the character was redeemed as Ben Solo in ‘The Rise of Skywalker’, where he dies at the end. Even so, Driver had long been open about wanting to return.

That wish turned into one of the franchise’s most talked-about what-ifs last year, when the actor revealed he had spent years developing a follow-up film. Fans reacted with a loud campaign, and some even paid for a plane to fly a banner reading ‘Save The Hunt for Ben Solo’ over Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California.

Now Driver has put the matter to rest. Appearing on ‘The Rich Eisen Show‘ while promoting his new film ‘Paper Tiger’, he was asked directly whether he is finished with the role, and he confirmed it is over and there will be no more ‘Star Wars’ for him.

He explained that he and his collaborators tried to make one more movie, but the studio response was that the character is dead. Driver added that the decision was never his to make, a point he returned to throughout the conversation.

The project was a standalone film centered on Ben Solo following his apparent death in ‘The Rise of Skywalker’. Steven Soderbergh was attached to direct, with a story by Soderbergh and Rebecca Blunt and a screenplay by Scott Z. Burns.

Driver said the team worked on the project earnestly for about 2 years and ended up with a script he described as really good. When he first discussed the film in 2025, he said the plan was to keep costs economical and make something handmade and character-driven in the spirit of the original movies.

According to Driver, Lucasfilm loved the idea, and the pitch went to Kathleen Kennedy, Cary Beck and Dave Filoni. The script was then taken to Disney executives Bob Iger and Alan Bergman, who passed because they could not see how Ben Solo was alive.

Soderbergh has also spoken about the disappointment. He told BK Mag that the effort amounted to about 2.5 years of unpaid work for him, Driver and Blunt, and he has said in the past that if the movie was going to happen, it would have happened by now.

Driver was pressed on whether he would come back if someone revived the film. He said he would be open to it if the studio wanted to, but made clear that the chance has likely passed. He also called the fan response to the canceled project incredible.

Dave Filoni said earlier this summer that the movie was not in active development, which lines up with Driver’s outlook. Soderbergh has likewise said he is not pursuing the idea.

The franchise is moving in other directions. ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ arrived on May 22 as the first ‘Star Wars’ movie since ‘The Rise of Skywalker’, and ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ is scheduled for 2027.

Reports suggest that Daisy Ridley’s Rey will be central to the franchise’s next chapter. Some coverage has speculated that elements of Ben Solo’s story could resurface there, but nothing has been confirmed.

For fans who rallied behind the project, Driver’s comments are a sobering moment, though they also show how much he cared about it. He has consistently framed the situation as a creative decision that sat above him rather than a personal choice to walk away.

That sentiment explains why the story has stayed alive for so long. A fully developed script, a respected director and a willing star made the cancellation feel like a missed opportunity for a character whose arc many viewers wanted to see continue.

Driver now has other projects to focus on, including ‘Paper Tiger’, directed by James Gray and co-starring Scarlett Johansson and Miles Teller. Whether Ben Solo ever returns in some form, it appears the actor himself is not counting on it.

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