Steven Soderbergh’s Ben Solo Star Wars movie could still happen, here’s why

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Director Steven Soderbergh has openly discussed how Disney cancelled his Star Wars movie idea, which would have starred Adam Driver and focused on a story called ‘The Hunt for Ben Solo.’ While he’s disappointed with the studio’s decision, the project isn’t necessarily dead and could potentially be revived in the future.

In October 2025, it came to light that a story exploring Ben Solo’s journey was being considered. Actor Adam Driver had expressed his belief that there were still aspects of Kylo Ren/Ben Solo’s character to explore after his turn to the light side in the 2019 film, The Rise of Skywalker.

Kylo Ren’s purpose in the new Star Wars trilogy was to echo Darth Vader’s story, even repeating Vader’s final act of turning against the Emperor to save the galaxy. By finding redemption, he became Ben Solo once more and ultimately gave his life to bring Rey back from the brink after their battle with the Emperor.

Originally, plans existed to delve deeper into Kylo Ren (Adam Driver’s character), but director Steven Soderbergh said the project was cancelled with the simple explanation that Ben Solo couldn’t have survived. This reasoning feels strange considering the next Star Wars film, The Rise of Skywalker, began with the unexpected return of Emperor Palpatine. Despite this, there’s still a possibility the Ben Solo movie could be made.

Disney is getting a new CEO, who might feel differently about the fan response to the Ben Solo movie

In an October interview with the Associated Press, Adam Driver said Lucasfilm was very enthusiastic about the script and their plans for his character. However, the project stalled when it was presented to Disney executives. Driver explained that Bob Iger and Alan Bergman rejected the idea, stating they didn’t believe Ben Solo could still be alive, effectively ending the project.

Disney CEO Bob Iger is preparing to step down, with Josh D’Amaro expected to become the new leader. Meanwhile, after discussions between actors Ryan Driver and Steven Soderbergh about a previously cancelled film, fans have been passionately requesting its revival to continue the story.

As a huge Star Wars fan, I’m really hoping D’Amaro makes a great first impression when he takes over. One thing he could do to win everyone over – myself included! – is finally give the green light to ‘The Hunt for Ben Solo.’ It feels like fans have been asking for this project for ages, and getting it made would instantly show Lucasfilm is listening. It would be a fantastic way to start his new role and build some serious goodwill.

Launching a film is rarely simple, and we don’t know the financial details of Soderbergh’s project. However, it seems Iger and Bergman weren’t focused on the budget either.

Steven Soderbergh told BK Mag that he expected his meeting about a potential Star Wars film to focus on logistics – things like location and budget. He felt he had a strong plan for those aspects, but the conversation never even reached that stage. He expressed disappointment that the project didn’t move forward.

A new Star Wars movie focusing on Rey’s Jedi Order, planned with director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, was announced four years ago in May 2022 but hasn’t been released yet. While The Mandalorian & Grogu and Star Wars: Starfighter are in development, it’s unusual that it’s taken Disney nearly seven years to bring another Star Wars film to cinemas.

Honestly, as a fan, it just makes so much sense to me to see Rey’s story continue directly through ‘The Hunt for Ben Solo.’ It feels like the natural next step after the sequels, and I’d hate for that project to just sit on the shelf forever. I’m starting to wonder if Adam Driver and Dan Soderbergh are kind of using the same trick Ryan Reynolds did with ‘Deadpool’ – teasing the movie to get fans excited and hopefully get it greenlit!

Let’s just hope D’Amaro is listening.

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2026-02-19 16:21