The movie fans will never see.Credit: LucasfilmStar Wars: Episode IX–The Rise of Skywalker (2019) may have passed the $1 billion mark, but for many viewers it marked a flat conclusion to a sequel trilogy that struggled to find a steady footing. Years later, Lucasfilm is still smoothing out the lingering confusion through retcons, extra tie-in material, and added explanations meant to reconcile J. J. Abrams’ divisive finale.The issues didn’t begin with Episode IX. Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: Episode VIII–The Last Jedi (2017) sharply split the fandom, sparking calls for Disney and Lucasfilm to rethink the trilogy altogether. Instead, the studio doubled down, bringing Abrams back after Star Wars: Episode VII–The Force Awakens (2015) to wrap the story.Credit: LucasfilmThe sequels introduced Daisy Ridley’s Rey, John Boyega’s Finn, Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron, and Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren, a character who became a focal point of fan speculation. His arc—clashing with the Knights of Ren, sharing a Force Dyad with Rey, and ultimately dying as Ben Solo—left many feeling shortchanged.Since then, Lucasfilm has used comics, series, and novels to revisit confusing choices, including the surprise return of Emperor Palpatine. A recent comic adaptation of The Rise of Skywalker even adjusted the movie’s closing moments.Credit: LucasfilmNew stories have continued to fill in the gaps, from a Kylo Ren adventure set between Episodes VIII and IX to Rey’s “Jaws of Jakku,” also placed in that post-Last Jedi window. But at one point, Lucasfilm aimed even higher: a feature film centered on Driver’s character after the events of Episode IX.“I always was interested in doing another Star Wars,” Adam Driver told Associated Press. “I had been talking about doing another one since 2021. Kathleen (Kennedy) had reached out. I always said: With a great director and a great story, I’d be there in a second. I loved that character and loved playing him.”Credit: LucasfilmDriver shared that he brought the concept to Steven Soderbergh.“Soderbergh and Rebecca Blunt outlined a story that the group then pitched to Kennedy, Lucasfilm vice president Cary Beck, and Lucasfilm chief creative officer Dave Filoni,” the outlet wrote. “They were interested, so the filmmakers then pulled in Scott Z. Burns to write a script.”Driver called the result “one of the [coolest] scripts” he’d seen, but Disney ultimately shelved it.“We presented the script to Lucasfilm. They loved the idea. They totally understood our angle and why we were doing it,” Driver said. “We took it to Bob Iger ([Disney CEO]) and Alan Bergman ([co-Chairman of Disney Entertainment]), and they said no. They didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive. And that was that.”Credit: LucasfilmThe movie would have been titled The Hunt for Ben Solo. Given the mixed reaction to the sequel trilogy, it’s not surprising Disney hesitated to jump back into that part of the timeline so soon.Now, after weeks of fan petitions to get the movie back on the slate, Daisy Ridley has spoken out on the project, sharing her surprise at the supportive movement.“I knew a piece of it. I heard rumblings. I have lots of friends who are crew, so things always travel like that,” Ridley, who will next star in January’s We Bury the Dead (2026), told IGN. “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.”Credit: LucasfilmThe Rey Skywalker star, who is destined to lead her own post-sequel movie (if Disney hasn’t scrapped it yet), commented on the loud support for The Hunt for Ben Solo–something that has been in tough supply for the Star Wars franchise this past decade.“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. I think it’s fantastic for us all. It’s good for us to all be united about something in a really positive way,” she said. “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.”Credit: LucasfilmSo, for now, there may not be any Kylo Ren movie coming to theatres, but Disney and Lucasfilm are bringing the galaxy back to the big screen with a number of upcoming projects.When Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter (2027) arrives, it will mark eight years since Disney last explored the post-Episode IX era. In the meantime, the studio has focused on the New Republic era with the Mando-Verse, which reaches theaters next May in Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026).As for future sequel-era stories, nothing is confirmed. Kathleen Kennedy announced three films in 2023, including one following Daisy Ridley’s Rey Skywalker in the “New Jedi Order” timeline. But reports suggest the project has stalled, while Levy’s Starfighter was pushed forward—a shift that doesn’t inspire confidence for the return to Rey’s era.Credit: LucasfilmThe road ahead for Star Wars is shifting again. With a smaller TV lineup, The Mandalorian reportedly concluding next May, and Starfighter operating as a standalone, Lucasfilm appears to be charting a new direction. The question is whether audiences will follow.How do you feel about Disney canceling this Kylo Ren movie? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!The post Daisy Ridley Speaks Out on Cancelled ‘Star Wars’ Sequel Movie appeared first on Inside the Magic.