It's more than fair to say the last few Star Wars movies have been polarizing and controversial, though while they may not be as universally popular as other Star Wars entries, they have their fans. This is especially true in regards to Solo: A Star Wars Story, and while the movie failed to impress Disney at the box office, there have still been calls from fans to see a sequel get made.
Unfortunately, it appears that any plans for a sequel movie are not in the works. That doesn't mean it'll never happen, though, so for anyone wondering if that day should come, here are some great reasons to push and advocate for Solo 2 to get made.
We Need More Star Wars Movies Without Jedi
Jedi are the lifeblood of the Star Wars franchise, but they aren't the only entertaining thing about this universe. And yet, time and time again Star Wars leans on its ancient order of protectors that continually pop up despite being driven to near-extinction. The reality is that it takes more than one Jedi to end a war, yet the ones with lightsabers are often given the lion's share of the credit!
To be fair, it's not like Han Solo was some major advocate for the Rebels prior to A New Hope, as he was just trying to get by – not that there's anything wrong with that, and, really, it would be nice to see more adventures where the stakes don't necessarily determine the fate of the entire galaxy and the ultimate battle between good and evil. It's hard to do that when that's seemingly every move a Jedi makes on their journey, so I'm fine with seeing more smuggler antics while Star Wars figures out how to make Light and Dark Side conflict interesting again.
There's An Opportunity To Bring Back Jabba The Hutt
One of the most exciting prospects of a Solo sequel is the ability to bring back Jabba The Hutt. In the original trilogy, Jabba sent bounty hunters after the smuggler because he had dropped a shipment to escape a bad situation, and in the process lost Jabba some money. Whether that incident occurs before or after Solo 2, there's an option to incorporate Jabba The Hutt in the sequel if not especially because the role has already been teased.
The prequel trilogy tried its best to bring back Jabba, but if we're being honest, it was too soon. CGI technology just wasn't there to effectively recreate him, and even the latest attempt to clean up that deleted scene in Star Wars: A New Hope isn't up to today's standards. In 2020, the technology is there, or at least there exists the budget to do another proper animatronic Jabba. Jabba The Hutt is one of the coolest creatures of the Star Wars movies, and bringing him into the next story would be a major motivator to anyone on the fence about a sequel.
The Cast Of Solo Is Pretty Great
There's something to be said about the cast of Solo: A Star Wars Story when examining the overall quality, featuring a lineup including Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Paul Bettany in addition to Alden Ehrenreich. This movie pulled some sizable star power, and I think there's an argument to be made the core of this cast would only continue to grow in popularity with each successive movie. That's usually a good thing for franchises, especially ones that are already part of major money-making franchises.
To be perfectly candid, Alden Ehrenreich never got an appropriate amount of praise for his portrayal as Han Solo. It takes some skill to not only play an iconic character, but also an iconic character portrayed by an equally iconic actor. Ehrenreich managed to pull it off, and even if you think he did fine, that's still saying a lot more than you can for any actor bringing an original character to life. Solo 2 would have the audience past the adjustment hump of seeing Han Solo not played by Harrison Ford, and Ehrenreich would have the opportunity to shine even brighter.
It's A Rare Opportunity For Chewbacca To Get A Lead Role
Chewbacca has never gotten as much credit in Star Wars as he's deserved. It started with missing out on a medal after the Death Star's destruction, and unfortunately Chewie has always been relegated to essentially lurking in the background since. In Solo, he got a chance to be a real part of the story, and it stands to reason that would only continue to be the case in future Solo movies.
Even if Chewbacca has to play the second banana, it's still far more attention than he has gotten as a character in past Star Wars movies. Chewie is a great character with a rich history outside of the movies in the expanded universe material, and while I get it's a challenge to give meaningful arcs to a character who can't speak galactic basic, I think R2-D2 has gotten more overall screen time than him. Solo sequels are one of the only logical ways to expand his part in the franchise, so make it happen and we can cross our fingers that a screenwriter will figure out how to give Chewbacca a great arc.
There's Rumored To Be A Lando Show That Would Help Expand The Story
Lando Calrissian may not be the biggest fan of Han Solo in Solo: A Star Wars Story, but canon tells us these two will have a long and somewhat complicated friendship ahead of them. Disney may be on the fence about another Solo movie, but there's rumored to be talks of Donald Glover doing a Lando series for Disney+, and developing Solo 2 could potentially help further support that venture.
If rumors turn out to be true, a Lando show could be the way to drum up support for the Solo sequel if nothing else will. Worst case scenario, perhaps there can be some way the world of Solo can live vicariously through the Lando series with the rogue smuggler as a supporting character. Perhaps the middle ground would be to tease more Solo stories in the rumored Lando show with mini-arcs, just to gauge and see if the interest is still there for another movie to be made.
Theres Unresolved Drama With Qi'ra
One of the biggest cliffhangers in Solo: A Star Wars Story is the reveal that Han had a serious relationship with Emilia Clarke's Qi'ra, and that she was working for a crime syndicate. The way Qi'ra and Han went their separate ways at the end was really awesome, and it also set up for a Solo sequel that we have not yet seen – which would presumably end with some real heartache for the titular lead. At least that's what we can assume, as we never really learned why Han was so eager to get back out in space and away from Leia after the war.
There is something really cool about the fact that Solo tries to build that former romance, and in doing so it made Han a lot less one-dimensional as a character than he was previously. Honestly, it's the thing I'm most looking forward to seeing resolved in a Solo 2, and not seeing it resolved is the thing that would me most sad if a sequel never happens. I need to see what happened with Qi'ra, what became of her, and where things ended with her and Han.
Solo: A Star Wars Story is available to stream on Disney+. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for more on whether or not a sequel will ever happen, and for the latest news happening in the world of movies and television.
