Since 2011, May 4th has also been classified as Star Wars Day…because it can be used as a pun for “May the Force be with you.” Get it? Anyway, as has been the case in previous years, people from all over the world have been showing their support for the beloved franchise more than usual, but it isn’t just fans participating. Chris Miller, one of the co-directors of the upcoming Han Solo movie, shared a photo of a familiar weapon wielded by the famous fictional smuggler.
To celebrate this especially geeky “holiday,” Miller tweeted this photo of Han Solo’s classic DL-44 blaster pistol, which he was armed with in all four of his previous movie appearances. The photo was accompanied by the caption, “Can't wait to get “shooting”! (heh, another pun), along with the hashtag of the day, #MayThe4thBeWithYou. The blaster is sitting on a table with some lit-up buttons that look like they belong in a galaxy far, far away, so there’s a strong chance Miller shot on one of the sets that’ll be used. This obviously doesn’t reveal any key plot details, but it is comforting to know Han will still be using his trademark firearm.
This tweet was a great way for Chris Miller to tease what’s coming for the Han Solo movie, which he’s working on with his partner Phil Lord. Unfortunately, 2016 also marks the first Star Wars Day where Han Solo isn’t among the living, as he met his demise last December in Star Wars: The Force Awakens when his son Ben, a.k.a. Kylo Ren, ruthlessly stabbed him. So although we’ll be seeing Han Solo again on the big screen, we can’t forget that in the “present,” he’s no longer around.
Following in the footsteps of this December’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the still-unofficially-titled Han Solo movie is the second of the self-contained Star Wars spinoffs coming out in between the main trilogy releases. The movie will take place years before A New Hope, following the younger Han as he’s starting to become the rogue we love and adore. The movie will also include Chewbacca, suggesting we’ll see how these two originally met and formed a friendship that lasted decades.
Besides wondering what kind of crazy adventures Han Solo be getting into in the spinoff, the biggest of fans’ minds has been who will play his younger self. The latest update regarding casting was three weeks ago, when it was reported that Hail, Caesar’s Alden Ehrenreich is the frontrunner for the role. However, other finalists have included Jack Reynor, Taron Egerton and Emory Cohen, so nothing is set in stone yet. One thing that can be safely guaranteed is that we won’t have to wait until next year’s Star Wars Day to find out who will be wearing the vest.
The Han Solo spinoff movie will be released on May 25, 2018.
