What’s Next for Ben and Rey?

No one’s ever really gone. I thought I should start a thread for metas and art etc. about what happens next for Ben and Rey. I think it will be a while, but I really hope they will do something, even a novel, to show Rey bringing him back.

Anyway, here’s a good meta on Tumblr:

https://brightwaterchronicles.tumblr.com/post/189818531470/ben-solos-resurrection

That would be awesome but it would have been easier to just not make him die in the first place. I want to hope but is it even possible ?

Froggy wrote:That would be awesome but it would have been easier to just not make him die in the first place. I want to hope but is it even possible ?

@Froggy

I agree— he should have lived. This was a cheap ending. I’m just trying to make myself feel better by figuring out how they could bring him back and into Rey’s arms.

Given the amount of BTS information that's coming out about how chaotic and last minute the entire production was (and given some of his comments, I'm starting to think the Reddit leaker was Oscar Isaac), it feels like Ben's death was a cheap way of turning he and Rey's relationship into Romeo & Juliet while whisking the character offstage until he can be trotted out for future content. Which is obviously incredibly stupid, they just wasted a character who's insanely popular played by an actor who went above and beyond what usually happens in these movies. Like unless he's got some future contracts locking him in, they just squandered that resource. Otherwise it feels like it was done as a cheap magic trick to accomplish the following

- Further shoehorning Rey and Ben's relationship into the Romeo and Juliet box that JJ was clearly enamored of in making her related to the Emperor
- If he were around in the following scene, it'd probably take away from the "YAY TEAM BFG! WE ARE SAD!" shot for checking off their "The New Trio" checkbox.
- Having him around would likely prevent the groan worthy Rey Skywalker ending.
- The filmmakers seem to want to have their cake of the best relationship/dynamic of the ST but also forcing Rey into the stereotypical Strong Female Character ending.

He's seriously just been whisked away to storage until they bring him back for future content. Which is too bad, versus how if they'd done something like he has to go off like a Ronin Samurai to atone and has future meetups with Rey, they could've mined that possibility for so much more promising future projects.

Well some fired lucasfilm person said there will be a broadway show about rey after 9 and ben will force ghost. Sounds so dumb tho, hard to believe.

Idk I'm just clinging to some retcon movie about them in some years. I want him back. Even ppl who don't care for reylo want minimum ben alive. He was everyone's fave character. I even heard one non-reylo say that rey and ben are cool because of the other, so like why take away the most interesting element?

LOL I have thought that Disney being Disney at some point is going to do something like Star Wars on Ice! and I had a momentary twinge of sympathy for whomever was going to have to try to skate in a Kylo, Vader, or Stormtrooper outfit. What the Hell type of musical can they do with Rey now that she's gone from being an orphan to a widow who's status "It's complicated" with her husband evaporating into the Force and last seen squatting in the ruins of his dead step great-uncles' moisture farm? Is she opening up some kind of yoga retreat there or Jedi charter school?

snufkin wrote:LOL I have thought that Disney being Disney at some point is going to do something like Star Wars on Ice! and I had a momentary twinge of sympathy for whomever was going to have to try to skate in a Kylo, Vader, or Stormtrooper outfit. What the Hell type of musical can they do with Rey now that she's gone from being an orphan to a widow who's status "It's complicated" with her husband evaporating into the Force and last seen squatting in the ruins of his dead step great-uncles' moisture farm? Is she opening up some kind of yoga retreat there or Jedi charter school?

@snufkin

Lol Im watching again another Christmas movie which is basically Rey and Kylo but he is a CFO in a hospital and she is a hard working lovely nurse lol. And now imagine Rey and Ben having a Christmas special with ice skating. Maybe she can bring him back with some Christmas magic.

snufkin wrote:LOL I have thought that Disney being Disney at some point is going to do something like Star Wars on Ice! and I had a momentary twinge of sympathy for whomever was going to have to try to skate in a Kylo, Vader, or Stormtrooper outfit. What the Hell type of musical can they do with Rey now that she's gone from being an orphan to a widow who's status "It's complicated" with her husband evaporating into the Force and last seen squatting in the ruins of his dead step great-uncles' moisture farm? Is she opening up some kind of yoga retreat there or Jedi charter school?

@snufkin

I ask myself if Rey can legally claim the Skywalker farm? Maybe it's the reason why she took their surname... XD

I feel like DLF will double down on the ending because they can't admit they f***** up. I expect them to tweak and retcon supplemental material to 'justify' Ben's death or simply erase him from canon as best as they can. My tinfoil is that they wanted to use the Skywalkers to prop up their new characters, but that flopped, and they'll rather continue to push these characters that nobody cares about than do something to salvage the situation. If Ben does get a mention in any Rey material post-tros, I expect it to be some cheap cash grab/bait, but they'll never follow through with a resurrection.

I've just read a poll in CBR forum's as to whether Ben and Rey should be a couple, and ninety percent said 'no'.
One individual even said they found the kiss 'gross'.


Well, they got their wish, didn't they?

motherofpearl1 wrote:I've just read a poll in CBR forum's as to whether Ben and Rey should be a couple, and ninety percent said 'no'.
One individual even said they found the kiss 'gross'.


Well, they got their wish, didn't they?

@motherofpearl1

Most vids I've watched did not like the kiss, but even those ppl agreed he should not have died. And also many suggest if they kiss might as well have them together in the end. One lady I'm listening to now not a fan of reylo but she's super upset Ben died and suggested he should have just had kids with Rey! Ugh. I think for non/anti reylo fans, reylo was the least of their problems.

When I watched the movie kiss got most of the talk in the cinema.

It's so weird. I just can't get my head around them going for such a downbeat ending.

How can they see this as hopeful?

What's next for Ben? I'll go with the most obvious answer, a Force Ghost appearance in some EU material.

It's tainted everything - the other films, the same comics the TV series.

All I keep thinking is they've erased the entire Skywalker bloodline. And they expect us to be satisfied with Palpatine's heir taking the name.

They've destroyed the characters.
I don't want to read anything about Rey, or Finn, or Poe. I just don't caresese one jot about them.

The Solo's are dead. The Skywalkers are dead.

And for me, Star Wars is now dead. It's the end of an era.
I don't think I'll ever get interested in another franchise. It's not worth it.

I don't think they will be anything in canon where they bring him back or even a FG and I'm not sure I want that...

After TROS I'm not sure I care for "canon Rey" any longer they made her unlikeable for me.

I will however read alternate endings in fanfiction.

@SkyStar Now see, the CEO of a hospital under the American healthcare system, now that's a villain who's responsible for destroying the lives of others and is irredeemable in my book. Yet even that guy gets to have a change of heart and love in a Hallmark movie, but not our sad tormented Byronic space prince. Seriously though, they could've done the dumb Disney on Ice or Disney on Broadway with those two and have a moment like in the Nutcracker where the curse on the Prince is lifted, total no brainer.

@Atenais When somebody told me way back the leak that she ends up there, I thought it was so egregiously stupid and blatantly catering to the childhood nostalgia of grown adults (who seem to forget Luke's line that "there's nothing for me here.") and joked that she'll be setting up a Posada and conference center for New Agers and Hippies. WTF is she going to do though? Set up a museum for tourists or sit around putting scratch marks on the wall about the # of days since her husband became one with the Force? I have friends who are parents and love the ending because "Rey became a Jedi!" and it's like orphan to widow (and she's what, 22 at most?) hardly sounds like an inspiring ending to me.

snufkin wrote:Given the amount of BTS information that's coming out about how chaotic and last minute the entire production was (and given some of his comments, I'm starting to think the Reddit leaker was Oscar Isaac), it feels like Ben's death was a cheap way of turning he and Rey's relationship into Romeo & Juliet while whisking the character offstage until he can be trotted out for future content. Which is obviously incredibly stupid, they just wasted a character who's insanely popular played by an actor who went above and beyond what usually happens in these movies. Like unless he's got some future contracts locking him in, they just squandered that resource. Otherwise it feels like it was done as a cheap magic trick to accomplish the following

- Further shoehorning Rey and Ben's relationship into the Romeo and Juliet box that JJ was clearly enamored of in making her related to the Emperor
- If he were around in the following scene, it'd probably take away from the "YAY TEAM BFG! WE ARE SAD!" shot for checking off their "The New Trio" checkbox.
- Having him around would likely prevent the groan worthy Rey Skywalker ending.
- The filmmakers seem to want to have their cake of the best relationship/dynamic of the ST but also forcing Rey into the stereotypical Strong Female Character ending.

He's seriously just been whisked away to storage until they bring him back for future content. Which is too bad, versus how if they'd done something like he has to go off like a Ronin Samurai to atone and has future meetups with Rey, they could've mined that possibility for so much more promising future projects.

@snufkin

I’ve seen it with my husband and older kids— we’re visiting family, and we were talking about seeing a movie. TROS has been voted down because it’s Christmas and people have heard it’s depressing. So, bad move, Lucasfilm.

Someone posted something about Adam having a meeting at Skywalker Ranch. They really need to sign another contract with that man and bring back Ben and Rey. He loves the character. I know his career is white hot right now, but I hope he’d do it.

@Lily Snape Oh I saw that article and it's just Peter Hartlaub who's the arts reporter for the Chron. They had him here for the San Francisco Film Festival to do with Marriage Story. I know that people are upset and want to stay optimistic, but honestly I wouldn't read too much into that detail. Other than maybe they wanted to thank him after 6 years and especially show their appreciation after what happened in the final movie. It feels pretty obvious the Disney's executives cut LF 100% out of having any actual say in the production because otherwise who the Hell bungles having the person getting the most love/attention for this film release cycle but undercutting their participation in their film?

TBH I think if Adam did come back it wouldn't be for the money, but because of the support he's got from reylo fans who've raised a massive sum for his charity. A lovely gesture, and so dignified compared to the seething hate from 'old school fans'.
Personally I'd like a mini series on TV. Ben Solo's story is just beginning, I want to see the real last Skywalker finding love and being happy.

Sadly I don't really care about Rey's future anymore. She's too perfect. She's not a real person, she's an ideology.

Worse still I've lost a lot of my affection for Finn. He seemed so cold in TROS.

I can see them bringing back Ben as a force ghost in books and comics. Maybe even in cartoons as Rey's guardian angel. But yeah, they really dropped the ball with redeemed Ben Solo. But since the precedent has been set by TROS to retcon LF canon storytelling. I figure they could bring him back if they want to.
The most disappointing thing is what they did with Rey. Rey is now just a two dimensional Disney princess. But at least the Disney princesses get a happily ever after and love.

I know what you mean - I loved her in TFA, and liked her for most of TLJ.
But they have destroyed everything that made her likeable. I was genuinely astonished seeing that some people actually liked the ending! They thought it 'made sense'.

I watched Warm Bodies recently.... perhaps JJ should watch it, it might show him how to make a genuinely uplifting film.

motherofpearl1 wrote:
I watched Warm Bodies recently.... perhaps JJ should watch it, it might show him how to make a genuinely uplifting film.

@motherofpearl1

Sorry for the OT everyone- that movie was so funny and cute! "R" the Zombie had more dialogue than Kylo, me think

motherofpearl1 wrote:I know what you mean - I loved her in TFA, and liked her for most of TLJ.
But they have destroyed everything that made her likeable. I was genuinely astonished seeing that some people actually liked the ending! They thought it 'made sense'.

I watched Warm Bodies recently.... perhaps JJ should watch it, it might show him how to make a genuinely uplifting film.

@motherofpearl1

Seriously? I watched it 2 days ago to forget about TRoS! I love that movie. It’s the sweetest message and ending. It always leaves a smile on my face and I am not a romantic person per se. And yes, watching it, I was thinking that this could be Rey and Ben with maybe an additional layer to show the audience that Ben will work on atonement.

From I've read, most die hard SW fans didn't care for rey's story. Now ppl are interested in her father's story....we'll get that somehow for sure.

Rey is just going to do what fanboys have been dying for her to do, create a new jedi order with her friends. Yawn. I'm checking out.