Harrison Ford Will Return as Han Solo in Episode 7

[EHKOS]

So Gran Falcon? Those damn Jawas, always starting trouble.

Seriously, if the actor is too old (Die Hard 5) then don't cast them.

 

[GamemasterAnthony]

He's the smuggler who made the bathroom run in less than 12 parsecs.

I am posting here for the sole reason of informing that above poster that his comment cracked me up.

Seconded...in fact that post appears to be made of 100% pure win with no fillers.

Now...I'm going to hold judgement on this. Seeing Han as an old man will make sense in this film since it DOES take place some time in the future of the New Republic, but it's how Ford will pull off this elder version of the nerf herder that will determine whether he's still got it.

 

[Happiness Assassin]

$50 says that there is a joke somewhere in the movie about him shooting first.

 

[The Lugz]

what's this hyper transdimensional doohicky good for anyway? 'press button'
well where's the thrill of the chase if it's over in half a nanosecond?
in my day we went .5 past light speed both ways and we liked it! now hand o'l han the prune juice

yep, something like that.


oh man, perfect.
Solve:
plenty of time

yup indeedy

 

[Yojoo]

I can't imagine he'll have much of a role beyond a brief cameo. There's no reason he can't deliver a speech as a high-ranking general of the rebels/new republic. Ford may be old, but he can still look good standing still in an officer's uniform: see the pictures floating around of his role in the upcoming Ender's Game movie.

JJ Abrams and Disney would be fools to try to get anything more than that out of the main characters from episodes 4-6. Their character arcs are done, and the actors are far too old for anything that wouldn't be seen as a RED-esque action-comedy.

 

[Agent_Dark]

The plot, however, intrigues me: 40 years later is about the time when the Expanded Universe kinda just stops (as in authors haven't written much). One of the more recently written EU series' is called "Fate of the Jedi" and takes place after a major civil war amidst growing return of the Sith (very original, as you can tell). That said, his role in this series involves quite a lot of action as a primary character alongside Leia Solo, Luke Skywalker, and some of their kids. So I doubt they'd actually do that point in time.

So if Harrison Ford is getting a decent role it would be some time after the conclusion of that series, I assume. So either they're bypassing most of the EU canon by setting it far in the future and making a totally new story, they're butchering the EU canon, or they're just going to have him cameo.

The EU doesn't stop after 40 years, it just timejumps 100 years into the future with the Legacy of the Force comic series (Cade Skywalker and resurgence of the Sith Empire and all that).

I don't think it will be related too much to the "current" EU storylines anyway. The Fate of the Jedi series basically follows on from plot-lines from years back, right back to the New Jedi Order series (which itself was almost a 'soft-reboot' of the EU). Though I guess they could sort of take all the elements from the recent 'current' EU and interpret it into a trilogy. Have Han and Leia's kids starting out as Jedi Knights, throw the Vong in as the Bad Guys, have Jacen Solo go dark-side and end up in an epic duel with his sister Jaina, let Papa Solo make a cameo as a cranky old retired smuggler and have Luke Skywalker's son Ben grow up to become the next Jedi Grandmaster.

 

[Cowabungaa]

Well, since the EU has had Han be a badass well into old age, this could be fine. However, I've been skeptical of this "sequel trilogy" ever since it was announced for multiple reasons - Disney in charge, JJ Abrams directing (granted this one is only a mild worry since I liked the Star Trek reboot), that whole "Are they going to respect the EU?" question - and this is now another worry to add to the list (possibly cashing in on the remaining love for the original trilogy with cameos). I don't care about casting information; I want information about how dark it's going to be and when it's set (so I'll know which EU books I may have to throw out).

I think they already stated that they won't be working with the EU.

Which is a rotten shame because the Thrawn Trilogy is prefect to be put on the big screen. It would validate Han's appearance so it won't be a silly cameo and it'd have the best Star Wars villain since ever. Thrawn is cooler than Darth Vader. Way cooler.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

I was hoping they'd move on from old characters and give us something new for a change. It's kind of sad to think that Star Wars video games are what moved the franchise forward far more than those sequels ever did. And now my faith in new Star Wars movies is diminishing. At least we'll get more Star Wars video games after the movie. Maybe some of them will give us something new to see in Star Wars universe. Like that 1313 thing.

 

[Movitz]

Hey, maybe this Star Wars will be about that time they celebrated Christmas togheter!

Wait, they already did that..

Anyway, I hope this isn't true. This new movie should be about new heroes and foes, no the same old ones returning.

 

[WhiteTigerShiro]

One down, four to go...

By that I mean Luke, Leia, Lando, and 3PO. Everyone else who might show up in the version of episode 7 that I want to see is minor enough that they can be replaced with a look-alike, wears a costume, or is dead.

How exactly does C-3PO not fall into the "wears a costume" category? Heck, I don't even remember the name of the guy in the suit, nor what he looks like.

 

[Abomination]

He's likely married to the princess, serving in some form of important administrative role. I can see him having a far more political presence than action oriented.

I like this, I enjoy seeing character arcs expand beyond many years. Maybe he's living in a bunker counting out the rest of his days before Boba finally finds him?

 

[TheCaptain]

Hmmm... hopefully if Solo is already going to be old in this film, that means they're not rewriting/retconning the Thrawn trilogy. I know the EU has its fair share of crap, but those books are too legitimately good to be retconned out of existence.

All hail Timothy Zahn!

That's always been the one person who kept Star Wars alive for me through it all, and these books are kinda impossible to adapt to screen given the age of the actors anyway... So they'll just ignore that there's already a story right there. Which I find incredibly disrespectful towards the authors who've shaped that universe these past thirty years...

 

[Beautiful End]

...And its The Crystal Skull all over again.

II hope they pay him well for getting raped twice as of lately.

Having said that, it would be interesting to see him as a high-ranked and respected general who longs for the good ol' days BUT that's all.

 

[thetoddo]

Hmmm... hopefully if Solo is already going to be old in this film, that means they're not rewriting/retconning the Thrawn trilogy. I know the EU has its fair share of crap, but those books are too legitimately good to be retconned out of existence.

All hail Timothy Zahn!

That's always been the one person who kept Star Wars alive for me through it all, and these books are kinda impossible to adapt to screen given the age of the actors anyway... So they'll just ignore that there's already a story right there. Which I find incredibly disrespectful towards the authors who've shaped that universe these past thirty years...

I wouldn't be too upset if they did the Zahn books and just made it happen later than the 5 years after Endor that it was supposed to be. I'd even be ok with having Han and Leia's kids be the main characters rather than Luke and Crew. Have Luke running the Jedi academy and Han a senator or some such and the new Jedi take a lead role with the old folks in the background. Really I just want to see Ian McKellan painted blue with possibly John Barrowman as Paelleon (the Empire needs to remain white brits).

Though I'd like to see a totally orginal story even more than that. Having one or two of the old cast is fine but the setting has amazing potential even outside the EU.

 

[Odbarc]

I hope Han gets murdered and his Hyperion Enterprise what-ever-its-called gets destroyed by Force Lightning.
Chewbaka becomes a prostitute.

 

[TheCaptain]

Really I just want to see Ian McKellan painted blue with possibly John Barrowman as Paelleon (the Empire needs to remain white brits).

You and I imagine Thrawn and the good Captain very differently. Especially when it comes to age.

 

[crimson sickle2]

If he returns as the baddass mentor character of the movie, or just a cameo as some old guy, then it will be fine. Otherwise, it will probably suck.

 

[thetoddo]

Really I just want to see Ian McKellan painted blue with possibly John Barrowman as Paelleon (the Empire needs to remain white brits).

You and I imagine Thrawn and the good Captain very differently. Especially when it comes to age.

If you're setting it 30+ years after Endor Thrawn would be getting up there in years (though not knowing how long Chiss live I suppose a case could be made for someone younger if they have a longer lifespan) and I think in that case the Paelleon role would be better played by a younger protege who Thrawn is training. If they had done the Trawn trilogy in the 80s I'd be right on board with having both characters played by actors in their 40s/50s.

 

[Buizel91]

To be honest, in the expanded universe Han, Luke and Leia are much older, if they get Mark, he will undoubtedly be in the Jedi Temple teaching Padawans, and Han and Leia will be with there kids...i cant see the movie following them, but they will be main characters, they have to be, if not then there isn't a point of them being in the film, The expanded universe pretty much revolves around them, albeit a few moments.

Also...i really hope they don't show

Spoiler

The death of Chewbacca

 

[TheCaptain]

Really I just want to see Ian McKellan painted blue with possibly John Barrowman as Paelleon (the Empire needs to remain white brits).

You and I imagine Thrawn and the good Captain very differently. Especially when it comes to age.

If you're setting it 30+ years after Endor Thrawn would be getting up there in years (though not knowing how long Chiss live I suppose a case could be made for someone younger if they have a longer lifespan) and I think in that case the Paelleon role would be better played by a younger protege who Thrawn is training. If they had done the Trawn trilogy in the 80s I'd be right on board with having both characters played by actors in their 40s/50s.

Well, Paelleon was already a Star Destroyer Captain at Endor, I would've a really hard time getting used to a much younger version of him... the "old soldier" persona is kind of integral for the character. And while Chiss age generally faster due to their more active metabolism, they've rarely been depicted as looking old, so McKellan... hm.

...I'll think about it and maka a counterproposal...