For decades, Harrison Ford was adamant that he was done with Star Wars and Han Solo. The actor famously pushed for him to die in Return of the Jedi, and reportedly only agreed to reprise the role in The Force Awakens if Han would meet his maker in the movie. So, it was something of a surprise when he popped up as a ghost/vision in The Rise of Skywalker, counseling his wayward son Ben.
My theory at the time was that this scene would have originally featured Leia and Ben Solo, but after her death, J.J. Abrams asked Ford to step in to take her place. And now we’ve heard that he might yet have more time for Star Wars.
Sources close to WGTC – the same ones who said [SPOILERS] would be revealed as a traitor in The Rise of Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano will appear in The Mandalorian, both of which were correct – say that Lucasfilm has spoken to the actor about returning for a Han Solo and Chewbacca spinoff. This would be set before The Force Awakens and show us his adventures in the run-up to that film.
Presumably, this would take place after he and Leia separated in the wake of his son’s turn to the Dark Side. And if it was set in this period, it’d likely see him and Chewie aboard the Eravana trying to track down the missing Millennium Falcon while engaging in some light smuggling. Chalk that up as speculation for now, though, as plot details are still unclear.
Of course, Lucasfilm recognize that the beloved actor is getting on in years, so the plan is apparently to get someone else to do the stuntwork and have Ford sit out for most of the action. But still, his age means time is of the essence and apparently, the studio wants to get things underway sooner rather than later.
My bet is that while Lucasfilm may well like to see this happen, it might just not be feasible at this stage. For one, it seems like it’d take a lot of convincing to get Ford to sign on. But then again, I thought he would never return after Star Wars: The Force Awakens, so I guess anything’s possible.
Published: May 6, 2020 09:48 am