Adam Driver Spent Two Years Developing A Secret “Star Wars” Sequel Until Disney Said No

Adam Driver almost returned to a galaxy far, far away until Disney said no. The Star Wars actor revealed in a new interview with the Associated Press on October 20, that he spent two years secretly developing a sequel with filmmaker Steven Soderbergh called The Hunt for Ben Solo, a film that would have brought his character back from the dead.

“I always was interested in doing another Star Wars… I always said: With a great director and a great story, I’d be there in a second. I loved that character and loved playing him,” said Adam, 41, whose run as Kylo Ren, also known as Ben Solo, ended in 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker.

According to Adam, the project came together with an impressive creative team that included Steven, writer Rebecca Blunt and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns. The group crafted what Adam called “one of the coolest (expletive) scripts I had ever been a part of.”

The story would have explored Ben Solo’s fate after his apparent death, and Adam said Lucasfilm was initially excited about the idea. “We took it to [Disney executives] Bob Iger and Alan Bergman and they said no. They didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive. And that was that,” he recalled. 

“It was called The Hunt for Ben Solo and it was really cool. But it is no more, so I can finally talk about it,” he added.

Steven also confirmed the project’s demise, adding in a statement, “I really enjoyed making the movie in my head. I’m just sorry the fans won’t get to see it.”

While the project may have been scrapped, Adam made it clear his admiration for Steven remains as strong as ever. The two previously worked together on Logan Lucky in 2017. “He is, to me, one of my favorite directors of all time. He lives his code, lives his ethics, doesn’t compromise,” Adam said.

Meanwhile, the Star Wars universe continues to expand without him. Daisy Ridley, who starred alongside Adam as Rey, is returning for a new movie announced in 2023. Future installments of the franchise include The Mandalorian and Grogu starring Pedro Pascal (set for release May 22, 2026), Star Wars: Starfighter with Ryan Gosling (May 28, 2027) and several other projects in development from directors Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Dave Filoni, James Mangold and Taika Waititi.

As for Adam, the Oscar-nominated actor has a full slate of upcoming films, including Father Mother Sister Brother (in theaters Dec. 24), Paper Tiger by James Gray and Misty Green by Chris Rock.