When you think about it, Darth Maul and Boba Fett have quite a few things in common. They both had stints as villains in Star Wars movies in which they had very few lines of dialogue, and yet both managed to garner considerable fanbases that have ensured their stories extend way beyond the films. In fact, the enthusiasm for both characters remains so strong that Disney has been willing to grant each of them a return to live action cinema – Maul in Solo: A Star Wars Story and Fett in his own planned standalone pic.
Details on the latter’s James Mangold-helmed spinoff remain sparse at the moment, but a couple of months ago, there was speculation that Solo’s title character could be making an appearance. But while Boba vs. Han has been done before, a pairing of the greatest bounty hunter in the galaxy with Senator Palpatine’s red-faced apprentice could make for an exciting new combination.
In a recent interview, Maul actor Ray Park seemed totally on board for such a team-up, saying:
“I hope so. It would be cool. For many years, when Daniel [Logan] was coming over before Solo, I said, you never know, one day they may do something. Daniel is one of these guys who’s Mr. Natural. He doesn’t actually have to work at doing anything, he can just do it. So with some work, he could be unbelievable.”
While it was actor Jeremy Bulloch who was behind the helmet in the original Star Wars trilogy, Daniel Logan played a younger version of the character in Attack of the Clones, not to mention the Clone Wars series. Sixteen years after his first big screen appearance, it could be certainly be interesting to see him transform into the older, more beloved version of Boba from The Empire Strikes Back – perhaps as a hired mercenary for Maul’s Crimson Dawn organization?
It’s a nice idea, though perhaps not an entirely realistic one, since Lucasfilm probably isn’t in much of a rush to catch up with the characters of Solo after the film’s disappointing box office returns. Still, assuming this Boba Fett movie ever does get off the ground, Mangold could do worse than to consider this inherently fan-pleasing team-up.
