During the promotion of season 2 of “Beef”, Oscar Isaac answered questions about “The Hunt for Ben Solo.” The abandoned ‘Star Wars’ film was a passion project led by his ‘Star Wars’ co-star, Adam Piloteand director Steven Soderbergh. Unfortunately, Driver’s character appears to have died at the end of 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker,” and even though the pitch was approved by Lucasfilm, Disney executives shut down the project after not understanding how Ben Solo could come back to life.
Why was “The Hunt for Ben Solo” abandoned?
In October 2025, Adam Driver told the Associated Press that he “had always been interested” in making another “Star Wars” film. After discussing his idea with Kathleen Kennedy, he and Soderbergh began work on a screenplay written by Scott Z. Burns.
The script was apparently well received by Kennedy, Lucasfilm vice president Cary Beck, and Lucasfilm chief creative officer Dave Filoni. The “Marriage Story” actor called it “one of the coolest (expletive) storylines I’ve ever been a part of.”
“We pitched 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 and Alan Bergman, and they said no. They didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive. And that was it.”
Oscar Isaac reveals what he knew about ‘The Hunt for Ben Solo’
While promoting Season 2 of “Beef,” Isaac appeared as a guest on Josh Horowitz’s “Happy, Sad, Confused” podcast. While most of the interview focused on his role in the hit Netflix series, he was also asked a few questions about his “Star Wars” character: pilot and Resistance leader Poe Dameron.
While Isaac hinted that he was “maybe” open to reprising his role in a future film, he revealed that he knew nothing about “The Hunt For Ben Solo” when the ill-fated storyline came up in conversation.
“No, I haven’t read it,” Isaac said. “I had nothing to do with it.”
Oscar Isaac Addresses the Line “Somehow Palpatine Has Returned”
Many fans found it odd that Bob Iger would turn down “The Hunt For Ben Solo” when many characters have already been brought back from the dead. Darth Maul, who was cut in half during “The Phantom Menace,” reappeared in several animated shows before creating his own animated series, “Maul – Shadow Lord,” which received rave reviews.
Even in 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker,” Emperor Palpatine was brought back from the dead in order to serve as the film’s main antagonist. Isaac himself uttered the phrase “One way or another, Palpatine came back”, which was widely mocked on social media in the years following the film’s release.
When asked about this line, Isaac revealed that it was a late addition to the film that was only added during reshoots. “It was replays. We had to do replays. It’s these surgical strikes where you go in, and they’re scrambling, trying to make things happen,” he said. “And I think that was a new addition at the end.” He also admitted that he had no idea the line would become memory-worthy.
Isaac reflects on the ‘excitement’ of filming ‘Star Wars’
The sequel trilogy began with 2015’s “The Force Awakens,” which hit theaters more than a decade ago. Isaac said his “favorite experience doing the first one was crazy” and recalled “so much excitement” on set because “everything was new.”
He spoke of “becoming close to” the director Abrams and meet his teammates, Marguerite Ridley And John Boyega. He also mentioned that he enjoyed “reuniting” with Adam Driver, as they previously appeared together on “Inside Llewyn Davis.” “It was such an exciting moment,” Isaac recalls.
Oscar Isaac had nothing but positive things to say about Rian Johnson
“The Force Awakens” was followed by 2017’s “The Last Jedi,” which proved to be the most controversial film in the sequel trilogy. While some fans loved the film’s bold new direction, others felt the story strayed too far from what Abrams set up in “The Force Awakens.”
In response to the backlash, Isaac admitted that he grew up “with fans and geeks,” so he knew “how much ownership people feel over them.” But he admitted he “loved” the experience of shooting “The Last Jedi” with the director Ryan Johnson and have the opportunity to meet him.
“He’s so laid back, so funny, and he tries to make it his own. I loved that Benicio was in it too, stuttering,” Isaac said. “I absolutely loved it, it was such an amazing experience.”
It remains to be seen if Isaac will ever reprise his role as Poe Dameron, but fans have speculated that he could make an appearance in Ryan Gosling“Star Wars: Starfighter,” which will hit theaters in May 2027. The first “Star Wars” movie to hit theaters since “The Rise of Skywalker” will be “The Mandalorian & Grogu,” scheduled for release on May 22, 2026.