Star Wars' Sequel Trilogy is arguably the most divisive set of films within the saga, so much so that there are valid questions on how soon Lucasfilm would revisit the era with another movie or series. If a recent rumor turns out to be true, the answer is not that long, as rumor has it that the company is looking to make a movie or series centered around Ben Solo, also known as Kylo Ren.
If a movie is truly being looked into, I can't express enough how bad I think this decision would be. I mean that regardless of it's a prequel or an improbable follow-up. This movie just shouldn't happen, and there's more than a few valid reasons why.
Adam Driver Has Made It Clear He's Not Interested In Doing More Star Wars Movies
Adam Driver was asked back in January whether he'd be open for more adventures as Ben Solo, and he shut the idea of it down pretty definitively. He's one of the biggest young stars of the Sequel Trilogy, and with his prospects in Hollywood only growing as of late, it doesn't make sense that he'd want to lock himself down as an asset for the Star Wars franchise.
To make a Kylo Ren follow-up with a re-casting of the actor who played him so soon after the Sequel Trilogy would be a huge misstep. Keep in mind, we briefly saw Driver playing a young Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Last Jedi already. It's too soon to see another person play Kylo Ren, even if it's Ben Solo before before he embraced the Dark Side.
If It's A Prequel, You'd Have To Recast A Lot Of Other Key Characters
Adam Driver is not the only person to step away from Star Wars following the Sequel Trilogy, Mark Hamill is out too; not that he'd be able to play a middle-aged Luke at this stage in his career for a prequel, nor would Harrison Ford be able to convincingly play a younger Han Solo. Let's also not forget that Carrie Fisher has passed on, so there's another recast you'd likely have to do if we're talking about prequel territory.
So not only are you tasked with recasting a well-liked lead of the Sequel Trilogy, but you also may have to recast a chunk of legacy characters as well. It's not a notion Star Wars has been uncomfortable with on a small scale, but I highly doubt those in charge would recast that many legacy characters for the sake of one story. A prequel is a scenario I really only see working as an animated feature, which feels like a rarity given there hasn't been an animated Star Wars movie in theaters since 2008.
It's Too Soon To Bring The Sequel Series Back
I don't subscribe to any of the rumors that the Sequel Trilogy is being rebooted or that Kathleen Kennedy is on her way out, but I'll also say it would be shocking to see the Sequel Trilogy revisited so soon in theaters. We don't necessarily know when this proposed Kylo Ren movie would happen, but if there are even conversations happening, I have to think it's far too soon even for that.
The Sequel Trilogy needs some time to breathe; once that happens, I think the masses will soften their views on it. That certainly is what happened to the Prequel Trilogy, which has gotten more love as children who grew up watching it have become adults. I think many people would still consider Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith a top three Star Wars movie, despite the fact that The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi received more acclaim from critics. I believe there will be a time where the masses are ready to embrace the Sequel Trilogy era once more, but now is not the time.
We Already Know A Good Deal About Ben's Transformation To Kylo Ren
What made the Prequel Trilogy so appealing is that audiences only knew the smallest details about Darth Vader's life, and really nothing else. This isn't the case with Kylo Ren as the movies alone have shown who his parents are, where he comes from and the moment he officially turned away from the Light Side. All we knew pre-Prequel Trilogy was that Obi-Wan used to know Anakin Skywalker, and that was about the end of it.
For those looking for more on Kylo Ren's origin, there is a comic miniseries that has documented the adventures of him and the Knights of Ren. The Rise Of Kylo Ren already tells this story well, and I don't see it getting adapted for an audience that isn't so invested that they haven't already sought out this story on their own.
Bringing Kylo Ren Back From The Dead Is A Can Of Worms The Movies Shouldn't Open
I've heard the theories on Kylo Ren being brought back via the Veil of the Force, and I understand why many fans invested in the character want this to happen. I suspect many who support it imagine it playing out the way it did when Star Wars Rebels introduced it to save Ahsoka, but we have to remember the audience that watched Star Wars Rebels is not the same audience that has watched the Star Wars movies.
In execution, I believe that bringing back Kylo Ren from the dead for a sequel movie would be similar to Emperor Palpatine's return. Mainstream audiences wouldn't understand it, a movie wouldn't be capable of spending the time to explain it, and you run the risk of a good number of people thinking it's a dumb departure from the franchise. Can I also bring up that resurrecting Kylo Ren would essentially be bringing one of the greatest war criminals of the Star Wars universe back to life? It's really only a move Rey would support, and no one else. Whoever brought him back would be condemning him to a life of looking over his shoulder and living as an outcast, and that's not the kind of life we'd want the poor guy to have.
Do you think a Kylo Ren movie is a smart move for Star Wars? Put all opinions down in the comments, and as always, continue to stick with CinemaBlend for more on the franchise, and for a look ahead on what's happening in television and movies.
