Ron Howard has opened up about a potential sequel forSolo- his entry into theStar Warsfranchise - and has revealed that it isn’t currently a priority for Lucasfilm. Though he offered up the possibility that it could someday happen, he did not seem to think that it was in the cards at the moment.
Solo: A Star Wars Storycame out in May of 2018. The film was a prequel that centered around Han Solo’s earlier years, before he encountered either of the Skywalker siblings. Asit had been decades since Harrison Ford first portrayed the character, the role was recast, and Alden Ehrenreich took over as the lovable rogue. Rounding out the cast was Donald Glover (who portayed a young Lando Calrissian) and Emilia Clarke (who portrayed Han’s love interest, Qi’ra).
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In an interview withNME, Howard updated fans on the status of a sequel. In short, he seemed certain that it wasn’t something Lucasfilm was currently interested in:
“The only discussion that I’m aware of about a sequel forSolois coming from the fans at this point. I don’t think it’s a Lucasfilm priority, as I understand it. But there’s some great characters launched, and the folks from Lucasfilm love the fans and really do listen so I would never say never – but I’m not aware of any concrete plans right now to extend the story or deal with that particular set of characters.”
Soloended on something of a cliffhanger. At the end of the film, it was revealed that Qi’ra was working forDarth Maul(performance by Ray Park, voice by Sam Witwer), a former Sith Lord turned crime boss. Meanwhile, it was established that Lando and Han were about to embark on their legendary friendship, and that they would have many adventures to come.
Fans have long hoped thatnewStar Warsmedia, such as a game, might cover what happened afterSolo.The film wasn’t a critical darling, and the box office was tepid, but the story left many creative avenues to explore. Unfortunately, it looks like a theatrical sequel probably won’t be happening. It’s been almost 5 years,and a lot has changed in that time.
In the years sinceSolofirst came out, Lucasfim has pivoted away from theatrical releases - at least for now. Though several cinematic projects are still in the pipeline, the studio has mainly focused on small screen releases since the release ofStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerin 2019. Since the film was released,Lucasfilm has also pivoted away from recasting major roles - something even Kathleen Kennedyhas commented on. Instead, the studio hopes to bring the characters back through the use of special effects.
