Star Wars’ Dave Filoni Gestures Jedi Mind Trick When Asked About The Fate Of Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren Movie

A Jedi mind trick hints at the future of Ben Solo.

Despite Adam Driver’s character making the ultimate sacrifice in The Rise of Skywalker, it was revealed last year that the actor and director Steven Soderbergh collaborated on the pitch for a new Star Wars movie known as The Hunt for Ben Solo. Driver, Soderbergh, and Rebecca Blunt worked on developing the story, and Scott Z. Burns wrote the script. The former president of Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy, liked the idea, but after two years in development, the project was scrapped when presented to Disney’s Bob Iger and Alan Bergman, who reportedly struggled with the concept of Solo’s return.

At D23, Variety asked Lucasfilm’s current president and chief creative officer about the status of The Hunt for Ben Solo. He first joked, “You know, someone was going to ask me that in this line, and I’m surprised it took this long, so that’s really cool.” He then moved his hand in the gesture of a Jedi mind trick, smiled, and said, “We’re not making that picture right now, that’s all I can say.”

While ​​​​​​Filoni’s Jedi mind-trick gesture may just be him having fun, there is the possibility of it hinting that The Hunt for Ben Solo is not entirely scrapped after all, with the project potentially being revived. Nothing is confirmed yet, but this small moment is arguably the most promising update yet about the film still being able to become a reality. Filoni has history with this movie, as it was also pitched to him alongside Kennedy and Carrie Beck, and they seemingly responded well to it, with Disney being the ones who shut it down.

One of the major reveals at D23 was confirmation of Driver playing Mr. Sinister in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s upcoming X-Men movie. This means that the star is once again working under the Disney umbrella, even if it’s not at Lucasfilm, which could make a return to Star Wars more feasible. Ryan Gosling, Shawn Levy, and Jonathan Tropper are among those who have recently been working with both studios, first making 2027’s Starfighter, and they are now attached to a 2028 Ghost Rider movie.

The latest Hunt for Ben Solo update comes at a time of uncertainty for upcoming Star Wars movies. The only confirmed film is Starfighter, which is coming to theaters on May 28, 2027, and as a major piece of celebrating the franchise’s 50th anniversary. A Filoni movie culminating the New Republic vs. Imperial Remnant conflict, New Jedi Order featuring Daisy Ridley as Rey, James Mangold’s Dawn of the Jedi, Lando by Donald Glover, and a long-gestating movie directed by Taika Waititi were previously announced, but it is uncertain whether any of them will ultimately move forward.

The Hunt for Ben Solo could end up becoming part of the franchise’s future movie slate, although a great deal still needs to occur to make that happen. While the Star Wars sequel trilogy was divisive in many ways, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren was generally one of the best-received characters, with Driver receiving extensive praise for his performance across all three films. There is now the possibility to capitalize on that while he has returned to Disney to play Mr. Sinister in X-Men.