Daisy Ridley Addresses Fan Campaigns For Cancelled Star Wars: Hunt for Ben Solo

Adam Driver says a Ben Solo project titled ‘The Hunt for Ben Solo’ was in the works, but Disney said no. Now Daisy Ridley chimes in on the cancelled Project.

It’s been over four years since it was announced that Daisy Ridley would return as Rey “Skywalker” for a future Star Wars project set in the galaxy far, far away, reprising her iconic Jedi role in Star Wars: New Jedi Order. Recently, though, there haven’t been many updates, and it appears that Lucasfilm may have decided to pump the brakes on director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s film. The film was said to be a priority at one point, but it seems Lucasfilm has made the decision to put the project on the back burner again and move forward with an entirely new cast that ultimately could put an end to the Skywalker saga. This doesn’t necessarily mean we won’t be seeing Ridley’s Rey back in some form, but we just don’t know when and at what point.

Specific story details for the Rey movie were never really disclosed to the public, although we now know that Ridley heard talk of the canceled Star Wars: The Hunt for Ben Solo film even before actor-producer Adam Driver revealed to the Associated Press in an interview published back in October, that he and filmmaker Steven Soderbergh worked on a script for the film. This news from Ridley comes as a bit of surprise for fans because it means that it was discussed or talked about more than previously thought.

The Hunt for Ben Solo would have followed Ben Solo’s journey after The Rise of Skywalker, exploring what might be his redemption or search for purpose, potentially as a Force ghost or tethered spirit, but Disney executives rejected it despite Lucasfilm’s approval due to disbelief in his post-mortem survival, sparking fan interest and massive campaigns for its revival.

We haven’t heard much about it from any prominent actors or people involved, other than a select few who’ve supported it. However, Ridley suddenly, out of the blue, spoke out about it while speaking to Tara Bennett with IGN when she was interviewed about her new horror drama, We Bury the Dead. The MTV breakthrough actress award winner was asked whether she knew about the cancelled Hunt for Ben Solo project and whether or not it would have included her Rey character in some capacity.

“I knew a piece of it. I heard rumblings,” Ridley shared of her reaction to Driver’s news. “I have lots of friends who are crew, so things always travel like that. But, whoa! When the story came out, no, I was like, ‘Oh, my God!’ And it was him that said it, right?” 

Yes, it is widely acknowledged that
virtually every Star Wars project has faced some form of divisive comment or fan backlash, with different eras and projects drawing criticism for various reasons. This is due to the franchise’s multigenerational nature and the passionate, diverse expectations of its fanbase. So Ridley was ecstatic when she learned about the heartening reaction to the news.

Ridley calls the fan movement for a Ben Solo film a powerful and unifying force for good within the fandom.

“I do love when there is a collective of positivity,” she said about the consensus of everyone who seems to want The Hunt for Ben Solo to happen. “The way the internet seems to have rallied to try and get it to happen. I think one), it’s fantastic for us all. It’s good for us to all be united about something in a really positive way. Obviously, everyone knows he was a very popular character, but it was also lovely to think, ‘Wow, people really, really care and want this.’ I just… I like it.”

She also commented on the diverse points of view and people within the Star Wars fandom and how their collective support for a project was “lovely” during the current chaotic global climate.

“I like when people join forces — excuse the pun — from all around the world, all different sorts of people. I just love that the Star Wars fandom is such a huge and gorgeous array of different points of view and different people, and the fact that everyone is really behind this thing, I think, is just sort of lovely, in a time that is so f***ing nuts for probably every single person on this Earth. I think it’s wonderful. So I was surprised, and honestly, I felt joyful about how it went down.”

Asked whether she had anymore updates related to the her future in Star Wars with her character ‘Rey’, Ridley smiled and commented that she’s learned a thing or two about the film industry over the years. “I think over the years, I’ve learned how the reality of getting any film made is so massive,” she said. “The hurdles are vast… But with [the Rey movie] particularly, I know that incredible voices and creatives are part of it, and I know the wait will be worth it.”

Fear not, while we wait for Daisy’s hopeful return to Star Wars, we still have more of that galaxy far, far away on the way, fans; up next for the franchise is the Pedro Pascal-led The Mandalorian and Grogu (in theaters May 22, 2026), followed by the recently announced first print release of George Lucas’ 1977 theatrical version of Star Wars, and the Ryan Gosling-starring Star Wars: Starfighter (in theaters May 28, 2027).

The Force will be with you, always…