It was recently revealed in an interview with the Associated Press that Adam Driver, the actor who played Kylo Ren in the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy, tried to drive a new entry into the franchise: a spinoff film titled “The Hunt for Ben Solo.” Driver revealed the film was initially greenlit by Lucasfilm (the production company behind the franchise) and was worked on by various people, including Steven Soderbergh, best known for ‘Ocean’s Eleven, screenwriter Scott Z. Burns, and Driver himself.
A screenplay was developed and finalized, and early preparations for production began. All seemed to be going well until they took it to Disney CEO Bob Iger and chairman Alan Bergman, where it was quickly shot down.
Adam Driver said, “They didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive. And that was that.” Driver expressed his disappointment – and so did the fans.
“Star Wars” is more than just a couple of films. . . It’s a multi-billion-dollar media franchise that produces films, TV shows, video games, merchandise, theme parks, hotels, and much, much more. Not to mention, it is also the reason Industrial Light & Magic (an industry-leading visual effects company) was created. Every decision to produce (or not to produce) a piece of franchise media creates a long-lasting impact on the company and fandom.
‘No one hates Star Wars more than Star Wars Fans.’
When a new project is announced, it always creates waves throughout the fandom – and usually sparks major controversy as well. It is well known that “Star Wars” fans are extremely critical of the franchise that they hold so close to their hearts.
The IP has changed so much since it first gained popularity in the 70s and 80s. People who grew up on the original trilogy generally tended to dislike the prequel trilogy that came out in the late 90s and early 2000s. People who grew up on the prequel trilogy tended to love it, especially with the release of TV shows like “The Clone Wars” that aired on Cartoon Network, which was geared toward children.
Many people tended to dislike the sequel trilogy, which was released in the late 2010s, regardless of which time period they grew up in. I have a feeling kids who grew up on the sequel trilogy and surrounding content might tend to enjoy it more.
It’s a strange trend. It could be nostalgia, it could be people from earlier generations closed off to change, or it could just be because the movies weren’t good and some people were just too young to see that.
Regardless of the cause, the point is, the fandom is constantly divided on the release of new content, and it’s not limited to movies. Fans will complain about anything “Star Wars” related. The difference this time is that fans aren’t upset about something that was released, but rather something that wasn’t. It seems that fans from across the galaxy see the potential in this new film.
For fans who enjoyed the sequel trilogy, this film explores more of that storyline. For fans who didn’t, it serves as a possible redemption, especially considering that Adam Driver’s performance is widely regarded as one of the highlights. There are, of course, some fans who want to move away from the sequel trilogy entirely, but even so, fans are practically begging for more films.
The last “Star Wars” film to be released in theaters was “The Rise of Skywalker,” which came out in 2019. The next film slated for release is “The Mandalorian & Grogu” on May 22, 2026. Fans are generally pretty upset about the cancellation. Some fans even paid for a plane to fly over Disney Studios with a banner reading “Save The Hunt for Ben Solo,” according to Collider.
Fans are expressing their frustration about why Disney executives did not want to bring Ben Solo back, even though they were fine with bringing back Emperor Palpatine, who was dead for nearly 35 years before coming back in the sequel trilogy. It seems that the executives learned their lesson after the overwhelming negative reception they received from Palpatine coming back. The decision made little sense in the plot and disrupted the long-established narrative of the original trilogy.
The idea to bring back Palpatine came from J.J. Abrams, one of the directors who led the sequel trilogy. The decision came off as a marketing tactic in order to build hype and nostalgia for the third and final film in the trilogy, following the negative reception of the second movie, “The Last Jedi”. The idea of bringing Ben Solo back doesn’t seem as far-fetched, as it was so recent, and seemed unnecessary and incomplete in the first place to many fans.
Overall, the uniting factor in bringing the “Star Wars” fandom together seems to be a combined frustration against the very creators themselves, or in this case, high-ranking executives. I am curious to see if feedback from the community will influence a possible reconsideration of the film’s production.
If you enjoyed this article or have your own opinion on the subject, I encourage you to leave a comment down below or reach out to me on Instagram @anthonyciuffo_broadcasting.
