BLOG: Why ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ was an inevitable and arguably vital film to be made

While some may feel “Solo: A Star Wars Story” was an unnecessary film in this new era of Disney produced Star Wars films, I think every fan should see it as quite an inevitable film to be made. Even if George Lucas had not sold Star Wars to Disney, I’d bet the lottery that a film about the origins of Han Solo would have come out sooner or later. Who knows, it may have even been a series like “The Mandalorian” and “Kenobi” series which are soon to debut on Disney+. 

Prior to selling the franchise to Disney, George Lucas had long planned on doing some form of live-action medium that would explore Han Solo’s background. 

Let’s not forget that Han Solo is without a doubt one of the most popular Star Wars characters and is regarded as one of the most iconic film characters in history. Many, including George Lucas, have noted that the character has often been more liked than Luke Skywalker, the main character of the original trilogy. 

In 2010, IGN released their list of the 100 greatest Star Wars characters, with Darth Vader obviously being number one, and Han Solo at number two, surpassing the number four pick Luke Skywalker. IGN even said he was one of the main Star Wars characters who deserved a spin-off and was arguably the coolest character in the Star Wars universe.

I would say that even today I agree greatly with IGN’s top two rankings. Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker will always be the best and most iconic Star Wars character but Han was always my favorite behind Vader. I’ve always loved the characters like Han, Batman who lack any sort of superhuman power but still manage to fight by the side of their super-powered allies, relying on their resourceful skill. 

As someone who originally started with the prequel trilogy of Star Wars and “The Clone Wars” animated series, I was so used to the series being centered around the Jedi. So when I watched “Episode IV: A New Hope,” I was taken aback by this main character who was not a Jedi but just a clever cocky scoundrel who was handy with a blaster. For him to be the normal one among the group instantly made him stand out.

When we look at what the “Star Wars Stories” (“Rogue One” and “Solo”) have been about, they really do seem to be extra prequels that explore things the original three prequels did not. I’m sure I am not the only one who got the vibe that the “Star Wars Stories” would be a trio of “extended prequels.” 

The focus of the first two releases certainly indicated this,  giving us glimpses into characters and plot elements that become vital in the “A New Hope,” which is why I said for the longest that if they make a third “Star Wars Story,” it should be a Kenobi film (which is now going to be a series rather than a film), but that is a topic for another day.

As I rewatched “Solo” recently for the first time since seeing it in theaters (it is admittedly my least rewatched Star Wars film), I found it to still be quite the enjoyable film, with it also being a film that can help us further prepare for what is to come with the series. For one thing, stories like this one are going to really help us know if we can handle Star Wars films that do not have lightsabers and or involve the Jedi. 

The film is also one that was ultimately directed by George Lucas’ friend and established filmmaker Ron Howard, who was long slated to direct a Star Wars film but turned down offers to do so in the past. 

On the larger scale, we must consider that with Disney now putting out multiple forms of Star Wars content, we are really getting more looks into the Star Wars universe and its history, something that for years we have only been able to see through books and comics. But now, with films like “Solo” and other Star Wars media being released that does not center solely around the Skywalkers, fans are able to see more cinematic depictions of the stories that take place in this galaxy far far away.

Overall, as a fan of Han Solo and someone I consider to have a good idea of the plans Lucasfilm has for the series, I would say that those who felt Solo was “unnecessary” should not be surprised by it being made. If it wasn’t going to be a film, it would have been a series like the kind we are getting now. Either way, despite being frozen in carbonite and having a less than pleasant son, you just can’t keep Han Solo down.