With the arrival of any new film, AFJ wants to you to stay informed of the new and returning characters to the silver screen. We thought a Solo Primer, might be a bit redundant. However, outside of three of the characters, there are several new ones added to the Star Wars canon. Oh, and of course, not only are there new characters but new stories that predate the film as well. We found out that Han's first canon appearance will not be this film, but in a novel called "Most Wanted". Get ready for a few more surprises as we unveil our Solo: A Star Wars Story Primer. #AFJ4LIFE
Look for additional Solo: A Star Wars Story coverage arriving this week!
HAN SOLO
First Movie Appearance: Star Wars: A New Hope
Canon First Appearance: "Most Wanted" (A Novel by Rae Carson)
Actor: Alden Ehrenreich
Best Known For: Ethan Whip in Beautiful Creatures (2013)
Gist: Alden Ehrenreich has some incredibly big shoes to fill in portraying a younger Harrison Ford in this film. Unfortunately, a change of directors has placed the film on the "I don't know about this" list. We'll know the truth on May 25th.
CHEWBACCA
First Movie Appearance: Star Wars: A New Hope
Canon First Appearance: "Wookie Hunt" (Season 3, Episode 22 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars)
Actor: Joonas Suotamo
Best Known For: Chewbacca in Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Gist: Joonas, was the stunt double for the original Chewbacca, Peter Mayhew. In fact, Joonas is actually six feet 10 inches tall, where Mayhew is an imposing 7-foot-2. This will mark the third time Joonas will play the character on film, with still yet a fourth time in Star Wars IX.
TOBIAS BECKETT
First Appearance: Solo: A Star Wars Story
Canon First Appearance: Solo: A Star Wars Story
Actor: Woody Harrelson
Best Known For: Woody Boyd on Cheers (1985-1993)
Gist: Screenwriters, Lawrence Kasdan and Jon Kasdan, have sited Long John Silver, from "Treasure Island", as the inspiration for the character. Is he the forerunner of the Han Solo character? His inspiration? Or is this man and the events that he orchestras (the job) are what produce the Han we all know and love?
QI'RA
First Movie Appearance: Solo: A Star Wars Story
Canon First Appearance: "Most Wanted" (A Novel by Rae Carson)
Actor: Emilia Clarke
Best Known For: Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones (2011-2018)
Gist: It will be interesting to see just how much of a love interest Emilia Clarke's Qi'ra is for Han. Our research revealed a novel that has the two in an adventure set before the events of Solo. How much more of this character will be present in the Star Wars canon, down the road will be interesting.
LANDO CALRISSAN
First Movie Appearance: Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Canon First Appearance: Lando: "Double or Nothing" (A Marvel Comic by Rodney Barnes)
Actor: Donald Glover
Best Known For: Troy Barnes on Community (2009-2014)
Gist: The biggest critic Glover will face in his portrayal of Lando will be his own mother, who told him not to screw this up (she is a huge Billy Dee Williams fan). With that in mind, we have no worries that a young Lando is still going to be cooler than cool.
VAL
First Appearance: Solo: A Star Wars Story
Cannon First Appearance: Solo: A Star Wars Story
Actor: Thandie Newton
Best Known For: Maeve Millay on Westworld (2016-2018)
Gist: From the trailers and stills that have surfaced it appears Val is connected to both Han and Tobias via their time serving in the Empire. How will she connect and shape the Han we know is yet to be seen.
L3-37
First Movie Appearance: Solo: A Star Wars Story
Cannon First Appearance: "Last Shot" (A Novel by Daniel José Older)
Actor: Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Best Known For: Abby Thompson on Broadchurch (2015)
Gist: Word is that L3 is a droid who literally built herself. As for the actress in the green suit with robot attachments, we know very little about Abby Thompson. We expect this to be our favorite charcater though.
DRYDEN VOS
First Movie Appearance: Solo: A Star Wars Story
Cannon First Appearance: Solo: A Star Wars Story
Actor: Paul Bettany
Best Known For: The Vision in Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Gist: This will be Bettany's third time working with Solo's director Ron Howard. As for the role of Dryden Vos, Bettany came in and replaced Michael K. Williams (The Wire) when re-shoots became necessary and Williams was unavailable.
RIO DURANT
First Appearance: Solo: A Star Wars Story
Cannon First Appearance: Solo: A Star Wars Story
Actor: Jon Favreau
Best Known For: Happy Hogan in Iron Man (2008)
Gist: Favreau is not only an accomplished director (Iron Man 1 &2), but is currently helming the Star Wars TV Series that will help launch Disney's upcoming service. Yet Solo is not his first Star Wars experience. He played a Mandalorian named Pre Vizsla on Star Wars: The Clone Wars. This is, however, his first turn at the new character, Rio Durant an Ardennian.
Solo: A Star wars Story arrives in theaters on May 25th, 2018.