Ever since Adam Driver told the Associated Press that he and director Steven Soderbergh had spent two years independently developing a Star Wars movie centered around his Ben Solo character—only for Disney to reject it—we’ve been told by the access media that there’s a huge demand for the film.
Adam Driver as Kylo Ren in The Force Awakens (2015), Lucasfilm
A quick Google News search for The Hunt for Ben Solo reveals a series of headlines from all the major outlets.
- Star Wars Fans Demand The Hunt for Ben Solo in Viral Stunt at Disney Studios (Collider)
- Star Wars Fans Launch Billboard Campaign to Save The Hunt for Ben Solo: “No One’s Ever Really Gone” (Variety)
- Adam Driver Says Disney Shot Down Ben Solo Star Wars Sequel Film Despite Lucasfilm Saying “They Loved The Idea” (Deadline)
In an article headlined “The Hunt for Ben Solo Reaction Is the Start of the Start of the Star Wars Sequel Revival,” Empire Magazine writes, “What is notable is the volume of excitement for the film, from all corners of Star Wars fandom—not just those who have long defended the sequel films from its more hostile factions.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 23: Kathleen Kennedy, President, Lucasfilm attends the launch event for Lucasfilm’s new Star Wars series The Acolyte at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on May 23, 2024. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
The article goes on to call the sequel films “gigantic hits, seen by millions of people, and largely beloved upon release.” And if Empire Magazine—along with the rest of the access media—says it, it must be true.
Right…?
Digging into the Facts
Driver said that The Hunt for Ben Solo was “one of the coolest… scripts I’ve ever been a part of.”
Soderbergh said, “I’m just sorry the fans won’t get to see it.”
But when it came to the sequel trilogy, where Ben Solo/Kylo Ren was a major player, fans certainly didn’t want to see it by the end.
Daisy Ridley as Rey in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), Lucasfilm
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Box Office Mojo bears this out:
- The Force Awakens made $2 billion internationally
- The Last Jedi made $1.3 billion internationally
- The Rise of Skywalker made $1 billion internationally
Diminishing returns with every movie and massive budgets led to The Rise of Skywalker actually losing money after making $1 billion.
Adam Driver as Ben Solo kisses Daisy Ridley as Rey in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), Lucasfilm
Where was this supposed groundswell of support for a sequel trilogy character back then? And why is Ben Solo suddenly so popular now? It also shouldn’t be overlooked that the one Star Wars spinoff with “Solo” in the title—Solo: A Star Wars Story—became the first feature in franchise history to lose money (but not the last).
The Meme of it All
Unless Disney relents and greenlights The Hunt for Ben Solo, we can only speculate about how real the demand for the movie actually is. One reality that’s practically undeniable is that the internet loves a meme, and sometimes those memes spill over into the outside world.
SOMEONE FLEW A BANNER PLANE OVER DISNEY STUDIOS LMAOOO #TheHuntForBenSolo ✈️ ICONIC pic.twitter.com/Ot5aT59xyt
— taylor (@empressrey) October 23, 2025
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Banners and Times Square billboards are amusing, but a movie’s success depends on a different kind of real-world support—people actually going to theaters and buying tickets.
A passionate Star Wars fan just paid for a Times Square billboard calling for the release of ‘THE HUNT FOR BEN SOLO’!
It reads:
“For Adam. No one’s ever really gone. Hope lives. Ben is alive! #THBS”#StarWars #BenSolo #AdamDriver #TheHuntForBenSolo👉 Follow for more updates! pic.twitter.com/2wuZ1rsctI
— The Fandom Feed (@thefandomfeed) October 26, 2025
Users on X seem to be having fun expressing their outrage over The Hunt for Ben Solo, but it’s possible that the media is misinterpreting an internet trend for actual support. Ask Sony how that went with their Morbius re-release…
Wild thing to say when #TheHuntForBenSolo would have been the innovative risk taking kind of great storytelling he’s talking about. Not to mention the amount of happiness it would create! pic.twitter.com/xV1iGCJR7w
— the desert spring | fan acc (@sihayaspring) November 7, 2025
Given the financial risk involved in making and marketing a Star Wars movie, it doesn’t appear to be a gamble Disney executives are willing to take—and ultimately, they have the final word.
As Driver said, “They didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive. And that was that.”
What do you think? Does anyone really want a Hunt for Ben Solo movie? Do you? Let us know in the comments!
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Some people are such children that can’t fathom other factors at work besides what they personally want. There is not, nor will there ever be, enough demand to justify making a Ben Solo movie.
Ooh me! Me! I’m pushing for more disney, kathleen kennedy, bob iger star wars. More! More! More!
I’m sure I’m not alone in this appraisal. Right?…..