Adam Driver just confirmed a long-rumored Star Wars secret — a Ben Solo spinoff was once in the works and came surprisingly close to happening. In a recent interview, Driver revealed that he joined forces with director Steven Soderbergh and writer Scott Z. Burns to pitch a project titled The Hunt for Ben Solo. While Lucasfilm was reportedly on board, the idea hit a wall when it reached Disney’s top brass, who ultimately passed on the project.
“They didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive,” Driver explained, referring to his character’s apparent death at the end of The Rise of Skywalker. While that logic makes sense for continuity, it also means one of the most complicated characters in the sequel trilogy lost the chance to anchor his own story.
The Ben Solo Star Wars Spinoff That Almost Was
Driver described the script for The Hunt for Ben Solo as “one of the coolest” he had ever been part of. The story would have followed Ben after his redemption in The Rise of Skywalker, exploring his future beyond the battlefield. The project had creative weight behind it, with Soderbergh attached as director and Burns writing. Lucasfilm, according to Driver, “totally understood our angle” and gave early support.
Disney’s hesitation came later. For executives, resurrecting Ben Solo felt like a stretch, and they weren’t willing to gamble on fan acceptance. That caution is consistent with how Disney has handled the franchise since 2019: carefully curating projects and avoiding risks that could confuse audiences.
Still, fans are left wondering what it might have been. A Ben Solo Star Wars spinoff could have offered a new perspective on redemption in the galaxy far, far away, and it might have deepened the legacy of Han and Leia’s son in ways the trilogy only hinted at.
Why Disney Said No
The rejection of the project highlights the tension between storytelling potential and corporate oversight. From a narrative perspective, the Star Wars universe has always brought characters back from the brink. Darth Maul survived being cut in half. Emperor Palpatine returned in The Rise of Skywalker. A Ben Solo survival story wouldn’t have been entirely out of place in that tradition.
But for Disney, the issue wasn’t just plausibility. The company has been intentional about its future, green-lighting films like Daisy Ridley’s return as Rey and a standalone project titled Starfighter with Ryan Gosling. Those decisions suggest a preference for moving the timeline forward rather than reopening closed arcs. In that context, a Ben Solo film may have felt like doubling back.
What Adam Driver is Doing Instead
While the Ben Solo Star Wars spinoff is now a “what is,” Adam Driver remains busy. He is starring in Jim Jarmusch’s Father Mother Sister Brother, set to release this December, and continues to pursue a range of film roles. Importantly, he hasn’t ruled out a return to Star Wars someday, though he stressed that it would have to involve “a great director and a great story.”
That comment leaves the door cracked open, but it also reinforces that Driver values creative vision over nostalgia. For now, his relationship with the franchise is paused, not permanently severed.
Fans React to What Could Have Been
Star Wars fans are no strangers to projects that never materialize. Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron was shelved, as were pitches from Kevin Feige and Josh Trank. The Hunt for Ben Solo now joins that list of unmade movies.
Yet, this one is different. Ben Solo was divisive, but he was one of the most layered characters in the sequel trilogy. A film exploring his survival and redemption could have given audiences a more nuanced closure. Instead, the story remains a tantalizing footnote, a reminder of how close fans came to seeing something bold and unexpected.