Daisy Ridley Says She “Heard Rumblings” About THE HUNT FOR BEN SOLO and Felt “Joyful” About the Fan Reaction
There has been no shortage of Star Wars surprises over the years, but the recent reveal about the canceled film The Hunt for Ben Solo still sent a shockwave through the fandom.
When Daisy Ridley learned that Adam Driver publicly confirmed the once secret project, she was just as stunned as everyone else, even though she had a hint something was happening behind the scenes.
“I knew a piece of it. I heard rumblings,” Ridley told IGN. “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? It was funny because, like, 'Oh, wow, Adam is saying it,' and that's the big surprise of the year.”
Driver revealed in October that he and director Steven Soderbergh had been developing a Ben Solo film since 2021 with screenwriter Scott Z. Burns, who wrote Contagion.
Lucasfilm reportedly liked the concept and were deep in developing it, but Disney leadership wasn’t convinced because they “didn't see how Ben Solo was alive” after the events of The Rise of Skywalker. There were some other issues as well, and the project was shelved, and fans refused to let it go quietly.
The rallying effort quickly grew into a full movement. Supporters even flew a #SaveTheHuntForBenSolo banner over Disney Studios in California, making it known they weren’t ready to say goodbye to the character. Ridley was genuinely moved by that wave of support.
“I do love when there is a collective of positivity. The way the internet seems to have rallied to try and get it to happen,” she continued. “I think 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. I like when people join forces excuse the pun from all around the world, all different sorts of people.”
Ridley went on to highlight what sets this fandom apart, saying: “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*cking 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.”
Whether The Hunt for Ben Solo ever gets revived remains unknown, but Ridley’s reaction shows how the movement has resonated with both fans and cast.
As for what comes next in the galaxy far far away, The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters on May 22, 2026, promising another major chapter for Star Wars on the big screen..