New Star Wars Director Dodges Question About Adam Driver's Kylo Ren Return

By Savannah Sanders Posted:
Kylo Ren Shawn Levy

Is an upcoming Star Wars movie bringing back Adam Driver's Kylo Ren?

Back in 2022, Lucasfilm tapped Shawn Levy, who's known for Stranger Things and Deadpool 3, to helm his own Star Wars film. 

While Levy's movie wasn't named among the three upcoming Star Wars films at Celebration, The Adam Project director attempted a Jedi mind trick when asked about sequel trilogy star, Adam Driver.

Will Adam Driver Return in Shawn Levy's Star Wars

Kylo Ren in Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker
Star Wars

In an interview with Variety, Shawn Levy responded to whether Adam Driver will appear in his Star Wars movie.

When asked if his film could be a prequel to The Force Awakens, allowing Driver to return to the franchise, Levy admitted he's a "huge fan of Kylo Ren. But no comment:"

"Your words, not mine! As you know Adam is a buddy, and I’ve always been a huge fan of Kylo Ren. But no comment."

Both the director and Adam Driver worked together previously on 2014's This is Where I Leave You

Interestingly enough, Shawn Levy recently gave the same "no comment" response to the question of whether Taylor Swift will play Dazzler in Deadpool 3.  

In a previous interview where Levy responded to how his Star Wars movie will be different, the director revealed Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy's mandate to him which was, "'I want a Shawn Levy movie':"

"When Kathy Kennedy brought me on board to make a 'Star Wars' movie, her central mandate to me was 'I want a Shawn Levy movie. I want a story and a tone that reflects you and your taste and what you bring to your movies — with a Star Wars story.' So I have felt extremely empowered." 

The director went on to note that development "paused [due to the WGA strike]" but he feels "empowered to trust my instincts:"

"We are in early days, unfortunately, because the development process was abruptly paused [due to the WGA strike], but I feel very empowered to trust my instincts in the development of this story and movie."

It's also worth noting that Adam Driver has already addressed whether he would return to that galaxy far, far away. 

In late 2021 and before Shawn Levy's talks with Lucasfilm were first disclosed, Driver admitted he's "not against" a Star Wars comeback as long as he's "working with great filmmakers:"

“No, I’m totally not against it. For me, it’s a filmmaker’s medium, so my only thing is working with great filmmakers. Whatever the size… it’s never been interesting to me, to an extent. There’s interesting things about working on both. I always just follow people I’d be interested in working with, and whether I’d be right for the part – things like that. No, definitely not averse.”

Evidence For Adam Driver's Star Wars Return

While Shawn Levy attempted to sidestep the Adam Driver question, he didn't deny the possibility and only confirmed his appreciation for the actor's character. 

Whether that's actual evidence of more Kylo Ren/Ben Solo is unknown. But it's important to note that Levy's Star Wars movie is years away at this point, and that means answers are too. 

There's also the unfortunate possibility that the film won't get made at all due to Lucasfilm's frustrating history with directors

Still, there is evidence pointing towards interest in further Kylo Ren/Ben Solo storytelling. 

For instance, in 2020, sources claimed Lucasfilm developing a project featuring Ben Solo with the best guess being a Force Awakens prequel. 

Since Adam Driver's performance is one of the few things about the sequel trilogy that Star Wars fans agree upon, if Levy wants to team back up with Driver and within the Star Wars sandbox, no doubt Lucasfilm would be on board. 

Also, such a project could complement, if not contribute, to Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni's MandoVerse, especially since it's also set before The Force Awakens and has already name-dropped the character's mother, Princess Leia.

Star Wars fans expect to hear more about Shawn Levy's Star Wars plans when Stranger Things and Deadpool 3 approach their premieres. 

- About The Author: Savannah Sanders
Savannah Sanders joined The Direct as a writer in 2020. In addition to writing for The Direct's Star Wars, Marvel, and DC teams, Savannah specializes in the relationship between Disney's blockbuster franchises and the Disney Parks.