The production of the Han Solo spinoff movie has turned into one of the weirdest aspects of the entire Star Wars galaxy. We have become so bogged down by reports following the departure of Phil Lord and Chris Miller (not to mention their replacement with Ron Howard) that fundamental aspects of the new characters who will enter the fray have remained fairly secretive. However, that may have officially changed, as new details have come forward about Emilia Clarke's character suggesting that the Game of Thrones star is playing a brand new heroine named Kira or Kura.
In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Michael K. Williams opened up about his involvement in the Han Solo movie (as well as the decision to cut him from the film due to scheduling conflicts) and laid out the importance of his character in the original version of the movie. According to the former Omar Little, he had already shot all of his scenes before the decision was made to remove him from the story, and his character represented a link between everyone's favorite smuggler and a young woman named Kira played by Emilia Clarke. Williams' comments don't give us much else to work with regarding how Kira specifically relates to Han, the Empire, or anyone else in the story, but a name is a good start towards figuring that out.
However, things get a bit more interesting when we dive into the exact spelling of the name. While Kira seems like a viable option, Makingstarwars.net has also reported that the name is spelled "Kura" on the set of the movie at Pinewood Studios in England. We have yet to receive any definitive confirmation as to the exact spelling of the name, but all of the reports about Emilia Clarke's character seem to suggest that, at the very least, it will phonetically sound like "Kira."
Another thing worth noting about this report on Emilia Clarke's character is the fact that Kira holds an odd position in the life of Han Solo, as we know that he will not end up with her in the long run. As a prequel to the events of the original trilogy and the latest trilogy, the Han Solo film will explore a period in Han's life before meeting Leia Organa in A New Hope. Because of this, although Kira could potentially turn into a love interest for this solo movie, it does not seem likely that the movie will lean heavily on that subplot to inform the dynamic between the characters. Knowing that Han eventually ends up with Leia, it seems far more likely that Kira could be framed as more of a colleague than a long-term love interest -- not unlike the collegial relationship that blossomed between Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor during the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Of course, anything can happen in the Star Wars universe, so we will just have to wait and see.
The Han Solo anthology film is set to debut next summer on May 25, 2018. As for 2017's Star Wars adventures, Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi will hit theaters on December 15. Beyond that, check out our movie premiere guide for more information related to all of this year's major film releases (Star Wars or otherwise) and fill out your moviegoing calendars accordingly!
