Part of the job of the new trilogy of Star Wars films has been to act as a passing of the torch from the original trilogy to the new Disney-led universe. Harrison Ford has some feelings about that. Recently, in a new profile of Star Wars actor John Boyega, Ford is asked if he felt that he was handing over his position in the franchise to Boyega when he died in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In typical Harrison Ford fashion, the actor couldn't care less. According to Ford...
I don't know that I thought of it that way at all, I was there to die. And I didn't really give a rat's ass who got my sword.
Harrison Ford is somewhat famous for the fact that he's clearly never loved the Star Wars franchise as much as the fans. He famously wanted to see Han Solo die at the end of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, and was likely enticed to return for The Force Awakens in part because the event finally took place. Based on these comments in the New York Times, Ford makes it clear that he was there to do a job, and what happened afterward wasn't really on his mind. Nor is it likely he thinks much about it now.
Ford's comments are on par with when he's asked about the upcoming Solo: A Star Wars Story. The actor seems only vaguely interested in the fact that another movie is being made starring the character he helped create.
Still, Harrison Ford also has a sense of humor about the whole thing and even if Ford didn't see Star Wars: The Force Awakens as a "passing the torch" moment, John Boyega made sure to remind him. The actor who plays Finn relayed a story in which he was involved in a photo shoot with Ford where Boyega was asked to move aside to put Ford in the center of the shot. According to Boyega, in his best Harrison Ford impression voice...
Harrison was just like, 'See that, kid? I'm the star. And I said to him, 'Yeah, mate, you ain't going to be the star when you get stabbed by Kylo Ren.'
And well, John Boyega wasn't wrong. Star Wars: The Last Jedi focused much more on the new characters than even The Force Awakens had done. Of course, it's difficult to argue that John Boyega was even the star of that one, with his character relegated to a side plot that a lot of fans didn't particularly love.
Since we don't really know what's next for Finn or the other new characters it's difficult to see how much the torch has been passed to these actors, as opposed to just to a new version of the franchise in general. Either way, Star Wars is moving forward without the original Han Solo, which he seems to be fine with.
