By Following the announcement that Adam Driver had proposed a Ben Solo film that was turned down by Disney due to his character’s demise in The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars enthusiasts are posing the identical query: what about Palpatine?
As per Driver himself, although Kathleen Kennedy and Dave Filoni supported the project, which was intended to be named The Hunt for Ben Solo, the higher-ups at Disney were not interested.
“We presented it to Bob Iger and Alan Bergman and they declined,” stated Driver. “They didn’t understand how Ben Solo could be alive. And that was the end of it.”
At the conclusion of The Rise of Skywalker, Ben Solo – also known as Kylo Ren – perishes after Force healing Rey, seemingly transferring his own energy to her. It remains ambiguous how the film would have revived the character, yet Star Wars aficionados consistently highlight that death has seldom hindered anyone else.
“‘They didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive’ bro y’all literally brought back Palpatine,” says one individual, a thought shared by numerous others: “The studio that presented you with ‘somehow Palpatine is alive’ drew the line at Ben Solo living? Really?”
“They literally detonated Palpatine and then resurrected him,” remarks another individual. Another enthusiast, meanwhile, stresses that Palpatine isn’t the sole “deceased” character revived by the franchise: “‘They didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive. And that was the end of it.’ Meanwhile… Darth Maul endured being severed in half and plunging into an abyss. Boba Fett survived after plummeting to his end. Emperor Palpatine… Killed and then exploded in the Death Star.”
“DARTH MAUL GOT CUT IN HALF AND FELL INTO A PIT AND HE RETURNED BUT BEN SOLO USES A BIT TOO MUCH ENERGY TO REVIVE THE WOMAN HE CHERISHES AND CAN’T EVER RETURN?!?” questions another enthusiast.
Time will reveal if Ben Solo ever makes his return to life – but as all these fans have indicated, it certainly wouldn’t be the first occasion in the saga where a deceased character received an opportunity for redemption.
Next up for Star Wars is Visions Volume 3, while the franchise is set to return to cinemas next year with The Mandalorian and Grogu. In the interim, stay informed with our guide to all the forthcoming Star Wars films and series.