There are a number of Star Wars films in early development at the moment. While Disney Plus keeps a galaxy far, far away going, we’re awaiting any sort of update on the next big screen production for the franchise. Shawn Levy evaded doing that, but didn’t reject the notion of bringing back Kylo Ren.
Levy is part of the next wave of Star Wars filmmakers. We know nothing about his new Star Wars movie other than the fact he’s involved, though some educated guesses can be made. For instance, he’s friends with Star Wars cast member Adam Driver, who plays Star Wars villain Kylo Ren. Them working together would be a true marriage of convenience, and Levy didn’t shoot down the notion when asked by Variety.
“As you know Adam is a buddy, and I’ve always been a huge fan of Kylo Ren,” Levy responds. “But no comment.” Fair and to the point, but that’s not a denial.
Kylo Ren would make for a fascinating feature. As it stands, watching the Star Wars movies in order only ends in disappointment as Kylo goes out with a whimper, so Driver is certainly due some in-universe rehabilitation. But then, is he the best Star Wars character for such an opportunity?
We’ve already had a trilogy where he was at the forefront. Yes, The Rise of Skywalker is drivel, but still, Kylo had a real moment in the zeitgeist. These days, I’m looking at heroes such as Sabine Wren for what could be next. I want Star Wars to be reinvented and move away from the Skywalker family tree.
My views probably run counter to a lot of Disney and Lucasfilm’s priorities, since inventing new mascots is harder and riskier than falling back on the older ones. Giving Kylo his own film allows them to bring back Driver, reuse the Skywalker mythos, and rely on imagery like the First Order.
There’s much less risk in that because, well, we’re all still buying Darth Vader stuff after almost 50 years. Star Wars has an ingrained symbology that does a lot of the marketing for them. Nostalgia is a powerful tool as well – fans who were seven when The Force Awakens came out will be closer to 17 by the time Levy’s feature comes to be (sorry).
Watch this space for more when we have it. In the meantime, check out our guides on the Skeleton Crew release date and The Acolyte release date for what’s coming soon to a galaxy far, far away. Likewise, our new movies and best movies lists have stars of another variety, like The Marvels.