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Credit: LucasfilmJust weeks after reports surfaced that Lucasfilm quietly shelved The Hunt for Ben Solo, new canon material suggests the studio is far from finished with Kylo Ren.
The final issue of Legacy of Vader, a Marvel Comics series set between Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), ends with an unusually explicit tease.
Written by Charles Soule with art by Luke Ross, Legacy of Vader #12 closes on a Force vision inside Darth Vader’s castle on Mustafar, where Kylo confronts the version of Ben Solo he might have become. Moments later, Kylo is violently expelled from Vader’s hidden vault, seemingly falling toward Mustafar’s lava fields. The final page delivers a stark message: “The Reign Ends. The Fall Begins. Kylo Ren… Will Return.”
For a franchise famously cautious about committing to future storylines, the wording feels significant – especially considering recent reports related to Kylo Ren/Ben Solo.
Are More Stories in the Works For Ben Solo?
On paper, the ending could simply reinforce Kylo Ren’s continued presence in The Rise of Skywalker. However, much has been made in recent months about the possibility of Kylo Ren (or, to be more accurate, Ben Solo) returning in a new film, leading some to believe this teaser was intended to lead into the project.
In late 2025, Adam Driver himself revealed that Disney had canceled The Hunt for Ben Solo, reportedly due to internal uncertainty over how the character survived the events of Episode IX.
Fans have pushed for Disney to reconsider the move, even hiring a plane to fly a banner bearing its message above The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank. Others believe Disney will rework Daisy Ridley’s return as Rey in a film set roughly 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker to include Ben Solo in the storyline.
While Ben Solo has not been officially confirmed, fan theories suggesting a merged or retooled narrative have persisted.
That idea gained traction after Ridley offered a carefully neutral response on The Drew Barrymore Show when asked about Rey and Ben Solo’s future. “Mm-hmm,” she replied — a reaction fans quickly seized upon.
Ridley later told The Hollywood Reporter that she had “heard things” regarding Ben Solo’s future. She stopped short of confirming anything.
On an even more exciting note for Ben Solo fans, The Hollywood Reporter has also noted that “a sequel-sequel trilogy feels inevitable,” considering the frenzy around recent reports.
Why Kylo Ren Still Won’t Go Away
Kylo Ren remains one of the sequel trilogy’s most contested figures. Critics argue his arc — including patricide, mass violence, and a rushed redemption — undermined the franchise’s moral clarity. Supporters counter that the character represents unresolved trauma and moral ambiguity rarely explored so directly in Star Wars.
Off-screen, interest has only grown. Reylo-inspired stories such as The Love Hypothesis and The Hurricane Wars have crossed into mainstream publishing, reinforcing the pairing’s cultural footprint regardless of Lucasfilm’s intentions.
With Legacy of Vader now planting a clear narrative flag, Lucasfilm appears to be acknowledging a reality it has spent years sidestepping.
Whether Kylo Ren’s return unfolds on the page, on screen, or both, one thing is clear: the franchise isn’t done grappling with Ben Solo — even if it still hasn’t decided how.
Would you like to see Kylo Ren/Ben Solo back on the big screen?