Han Solo will still play a crucial role in Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Harrison Ford's beloved space smuggler won't be forgotten that easily
Harrison Ford’s departure from the Star Wars franchise in Episode VII left fans in mourning for Han Solo but it turns out we haven’t really seen the last of the space smuggler because he’s got a major role to play in The Last Jedi.
Director Rian Johnson told Entertainment Weekly that the “figurative ghost” of Solo looms large throughout the new film, and revealed that the circumstances of his death will be a driving force for Daisy Ridley’s Rey.
“She just doesn’t understand Kylo,” Daisy Ridley added. “When all she wanted was parents, why would a person who has parents do that? It’s so beyond comprehension, it’s ridiculous. So she has grief for the loss and then there’s anger. To be honest, she couldn’t understand doing something like that – let alone to your parents.”
It seems as though young Ben Solo won’t be too sure how to deal with his actions either. “He’s definitely been knocked off base,” said Johnson. “The defeat that he had at the end of The Force Awakens, but even bigger than that, his huge defining act which, spoiler alert, is the murder of his father… that’s the more interesting thing to dive into. How has he dealt with that in his head? Where is he at in terms of that act and what does that mean for him?”
And what does it mean for Han’s own partner in crime, Chewbacca? That’s another question Johnson is planning to answer on screen.
“Chewie’s doing all right. It’s tough. It was obviously a big loss for him, but, you know, he’s Chewie. He’s resilient,” the writer/director said. “He’s got broad Wookiee shoulders, and he also has a new mission. He’s got Rey, and she’s someone that Han, to a certain extent, handed the keys to. So I think that that helps.”
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is released in UK cinemas on 14th December
