Is Adam Driver taking the Ryan Reynolds route to getting his Star Wars movie made? Ben Solo project explained

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Adam Driver recently shared details about a potential Star Wars film centered on his character, Ben Solo. Here’s what we’ve learned about the project, and why it might now follow a similar path to Ryan Reynolds’ previously unreleased films.

Adam Driver portrayed the character Kylo Ren in three Star Wars films: The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker.

The actor had mentioned wanting his character’s arc to be the opposite of Darth Vader’s – a fall from grace instead of a rise to power – but the story ended up going in a different direction.

I was so excited to hear that the actor actually tried to bring a Ben Solo story to life! He teamed up with Steven Soderbergh to create a movie idea, but Disney ended up passing on it. Luckily, the details are out now, and it sounds like there’s a chance it might still happen someday – fingers crossed!

What is The Hunt for Ben Solo?

Before becoming Kylo Ren, Ben Solo was the son of Han and Leia. While “The Hunt for Ben Solo” takes place after the events of “The Rise of Skywalker,” the story would likely focus on both finding him and his journey of self-discovery.

In an interview with the Associated Press, actor Hayden Christensen shared that he’d been hoping to return to the Star Wars universe since 2021. He explained that he told Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy he’d be eager to reprise his role as Anakin Skywalker if the project had a strong director and a compelling story, adding that he enjoyed playing the character immensely.

He then presented the idea to Steven Soderbergh, who developed a story with Rebecca Blunt. They then pitched this story to Kennedy, Dave Filoni (Lucasfilm’s chief creative officer), and Cary Beck (a Lucasfilm vice president).

Scott Z. Burns, a frequent collaborator with director Steven Soderbergh (and someone who secretly helped rewrite Rogue One), later developed a script that Adam Driver described as one of the most exciting he’d ever worked on.

Disney says no to Ben Solo, fans say yes

The driver shared the script with Lucasfilm, and they were very enthusiastic about it. According to the driver, they completely understood the creative approach and the reasoning behind the project.

However, their idea was rejected by Disney executives. As Driver explains, Bob Iger and Alan Bergman didn’t believe it was plausible for Ben Solo to still be alive, and that ended the discussion.

The reaction to this has been largely negative online, mainly because Emperor Palpatine was believed to be definitively dead in the Star Wars story. Poe Dameron’s line, stating Palpatine is somehow still alive, implied the franchise had previously resurrected characters with little justification.

Disney has stated they don’t believe Ben Solo could have survived the events of Episode IX. However, fans are still hoping for his return, as evidenced by the #TheHuntForBenSolo hashtag.

— thrawna’del’rey 🇵🇸 (@thrawnadelrey) October 20, 2025

I was scrolling through Twitter/X and saw a bunch of hilarious reactions to the news about Adam Driver and Steven Soderbergh wanting to make another Kylo Ren Star Wars movie. Seriously, one person pointed out the irony – Disney, the same company that brought Palpatine back from the dead, said they couldn’t figure out how to bring Kylo back? It’s wild!

One observer highlighted a difference in storytelling approaches between Disney’s Star Wars projects. They pointed out that while the return of Palpatine in 2019 felt forced (“somehow, Palpatine returned”), the potential return of Ben Solo is being handled with an unsatisfying lack of explanation, despite a script existing. They feel it lacks believability.

A Star Wars fan has a suggestion for Disney: bring back Adam Driver’s character, Ben Solo, by referencing established Star Wars lore. The fan jokingly suggests using the classic opening crawl to explain his return with a line like, ‘Somehow Ben Solo has returned…’ They believe more appearances by Driver would be a welcome addition to the franchise.

Many fans are thrilled with the show Andor. One person expressed their amazement, saying it’s like a Star Wars film directed by Steven Soderbergh, and they can’t believe Disney approved a story where a character like Palpatine – who seemingly died in a dramatic fall – returns. They’re thankful that somehow, despite this, Andor got made.

Why Adam Driver might be following in Ryan Reynolds’ footsteps

It’s likely Adam Driver was required to keep details confidential while involved in a possible new Star Wars film with Lucasfilm and Disney, making his recent public comments noteworthy.

Speaking with the Associated Press, he explained that he was relieved to finally discuss the project now that it was cancelled, calling the initial idea “really cool.” Director Soderbergh shared with AP that he had fun imagining the film, but was disappointed fans wouldn’t get to experience it.

Is there a hidden reason why people are talking about the search for Ben Solo? Could it be similar to what happened with Ryan Reynolds? He almost certainly wasn’t the one who leaked footage that ultimately helped get the Deadpool movie made.

Back in 2011, Ryan Reynolds and director Tim Miller made a short, two-minute video to try and get 20th Century Fox to fund a Deadpool movie. Unfortunately, it didn’t work, and the project seemed to be cancelled.

On July 27th, 2014, the final day of San Diego Comic-Con, a test clip was released online. The response from fans was overwhelmingly positive, and just weeks later, the studio officially approved the movie’s production.

The source of that leak remains a mystery. Some believe the studio intentionally caused it as a marketing tactic, but most suspect Ryan Reynolds, hoping to generate buzz for a project he’s passionate about. Reynolds later playfully suggested he was only 70% certain he wasn’t the one who leaked it.

Are directors Dan Driver and Steven Soderbergh hoping to create their own Star Wars story, similar to how Deadpool got made? It’s still uncertain, but fans immediately flooded social media asking Disney to greenlight a project called ‘The Hunt for Ben Solo.’ It’s definitely a story to keep an eye on…

The next Star Wars film, featuring The Mandalorian and Grogu, is scheduled for release on May 22, 2026. While you wait, you can explore the complete Star Wars timeline, learn about the most popular characters, and find out everything we currently know about the 2027 movie, Starfighter.

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2025-10-21 13:50