Spoilers forSolo: A Star Wars Storyand otherStar Warsfilms follow below.
When Disney purchased Lucasfilm back in 2012, we knewStar Warswould never be the same, but we didn’t quite knowhow.George LucaschoseKathleen Kennedyas his predecessor to oversee Lucasfilm, but now under the Disney banner, the production studio was part of a mega machine that answered to shareholders. Gone would be the days whenStar Warsmovies could come out in trilogy bursts and then go back into hibernation for a decade or so. Disney is in the business of quantity, and they were keen on not only kickstarting a newStar Warstrilogy, but also finding ways to expand the franchise to parts unknown.
Key in this plan wasA Star Wars Story, which became the moniker for what were once deemed “anthology” movies. When work began on putting togetherEpisode VII, Kennedy was also meeting with other filmmakers to begin to develop spinoff stories separate from the episodic timeline. Ideas for a Yoda movie, a Boba Fett movie, and an Obi-Wan Kenobi movie were kicked around, but the first-everStar Warsspinoff out of the gate would beRogue One, which was an idea hatched by ILM veteranJohn Knollabout a ragtag group of individuals who stole the Death Star plans. It’s aNew Hopeprequel, but focusing on non-Skywalker and non-Jedi characters.
That resulting film, despite production issues galore, was received quite warmly, and indeed while the quality ofRogue Onecan be debated, the mere experience of seeing aStar Warsmovie that looked and felt so different was refreshing and unique. The film also (spoiler alert) killed off the entire main cast by the end, so this wasn’t a shameless ploy to begin a new franchise. It was a one-off experiment, and it worked to the tune of $1 billion worldwide.
The secondStar Wars Story, however, is a far different affair, and it very much feels like a hint towards where the Disney Lucasfilm is going in the future.Solo: A Star Wars Storyis far from a one-off, and is instead the firstStar Warsmovie that feels like an open-ended question as opposite to the beginning chapter of a story with a conclusion. YesThe Force Awakensis a “beginning,” but it also clearly sets up a story with a finite conclusion—specifically the arcs of Rey and Kylo Ren. EvenPhantom Menacehas its sights set on the tragic transformation of Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader.
ButSolointroduces plot threads, characters, and teases with no definitive conclusion, setting them up for future sequels or spinoffs in a way that feels unique in theStar Warsrealm, and also off-putting. Wanna see more of the adventures of Lando Calrissian? Maybe you’ll get to! Curious to see the backstory behind Han Solo’s relationship with Jabba the Hutt? That gets teased pretty heavily too! But it’s the cameo at the end of the movie that’s the real sequel bait. It’s revealed that Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke)—Han Solo’s (Alden Ehrenreich) childhood friend and first love—is working for Darth Maul (Ray Park), who calls her home at the film’s conclusion as she’s assumed the leadership role in the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate that was previously filled by the now-dead Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany).
The Darth Maul scene comes across so blatantly like a tease for a sequel that it’d feel right at home at a post-credits scene, a la the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And indeed, at its foundation,Solo: A Star Wars Storyfeels like the beginning of the MCU-ification of theStar Warsfranchise. It’s a film that’s fine, fits well into theStar Warsuniverse while also carving its own unique genre niche, but is also inessential to understanding the full story.
Indeed,Solofeels like the first disposableStar Warsmovie ever made.Attack of the Clonesis a bad movie, but it’s still crucial to understanding the mythology of the Skywalker story. And while in hindsightRogue Oneis pretty inessential as well, at the time it felt like a must-see because audiences were primed to thinking that everyStar Warsmovie had to be seen to understand the full story. That’s no longer the case, andSoloproves it.
To be clear, I’m not comparingStar Warsto the MCU in a derogatory fashion. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the most consistently successful franchise going right now, cranking out hit after hit and allowing each of their films to reach different audiences while saving the “must-sees” for the big team-upAvengersmovies. And fans are completely fine with this arrangement, as evidenced by the record-breaking box office forAvengers: Infinity Warand smashing success ofBlack Panther. Some Marvel movies are better than others, a couple of them are great, but I don’t think anyone would argue thatAnt-ManorIron Man 2are “essential” to understanding what’s going on in the MCU.
And so here we are withSolo, theAnt-Manof theStar Warsfranchise. It’s a perfectly fine film with a few bright spots here and there, but is it crucial to understanding who Han Solo is as a character? Definitely not. Is it a fun ride for die-hard Han Solo fans? Sure, and maybe that’s the point.
The opening weekend box office forSolois a low pointfor theStar Warsfranchise, but if Disney is going to release one newStar Warsmovie a year until the end of time, they’re not all going to reachForce Awakensnumbers—just like not every MCU movie cracks $100 million on opening weekend. Granted, Disney releases three Marvel movies a year, not one, so they can afford to have some singles and doubles, and perhapsSolo’s disappointing debut will spur a course-correction at Lucasfilm. But we’ve already reached the point of no return.
It’s clear coming out ofSolothatStar Warswill never—and can never—be precious again. When everyStar Warsfilm was an episode in an over-arching story, each movie was greeted with intense fervor and anticipation, followed by years of dissection, debate, and discussion. But in the Disney-owned Lucasfilm era, we’re approaching the end of the Skywalker story, and the future lies in quantity above all else. The more you have of something, the less precious it becomes.
Episode IXwill mark the conclusion of this current storyline, and Lucasfilm has already started making plans for the years ahead. Boba Fett and Obi-Wan movies are in active development,Rian Johnsonis creating a new trilogywith new characters, andGame of ThronesshowrunnersD.B. WeissandDavid Benioffare writing and producing their own series ofStar Warsmovies. These films may or may not expand theStar Warsuniverse, some will be better than others, and inevitably, some will be largely inessential.
This kind of growth was inevitable the moment Lucas signed over Lucasfilm to Disney, andSolo—which is perfectly satisfactory but largely perfunctory—feels like the firstStar Warsmovie to really underline that point. There will certainly be growing pains, but there’s also no way Disney will look atSolo’s low box office returns and decide to just stop making spinoffs altogether. They’ll tweak and adjust accordingly, just as Marvel Studios did in the early days of the MCU, and they’ll find some sort of sweet spot that is amenable to bothStar Warsfans and their shareholders. But one thing’s for certain: It’s too valuable a brand to keep it boxed up, released in limited edition spurts.Star Warsis part of a new world now, one in which the MCU is king. And imitation is indeed the best form of flattery.
