In the years since Disney purchased Lucasfilm, they have released five theatrical films in addition to expanding the universe through both animated and live-action series on Disney+. Of all the material they’ve produced, one film in particular has failed to leave any sort of long-lasting impact,Solo: A Star Wars Story. The critical and audience reception to the Han Solo prequel was generally positive, though itsbox office performance was a disappointmentto say the least. While the first threeStar Warsfilms released by Disney grossed over a billion dollars each,Soloonly managed to pull in just under $400 million worldwide.
As a result ofSolo’s failure to perform on the level of other recent films in the franchise, any plans to develop a sequel to the film or follow-up on of its dangling story threads seem to have been halted altogether. While a secondSolofilm may be out of the question entirely, a Disney+ series exploring the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate introduced by the film could be worth Lucasfilm’s time and effort. Here’s why:
More Darth Maul
Darth Maul is one of the most iconic villains in the entireStar Warscanon, and yet he has never really been given an opportunity to shine in a live-action outing. The character was introduced as a young Sith apprentice to Darth Sidious inThe Phantom Menace, and while he was certainly menacing in that film, and the extended fight sequence with him at the end resulted in one of the best pieces of music in the franchise, the character himself was little more than a bad guy to fight and kill off inEpisode I. It was disappointing to see a character with such potential taken off the board so early in the prequels.
Thankfully, Dave Filoni brought Maul back into the fold with the fantastic animated seriesStar Wars: The Clone Wars. That show developed Maul into one ofthe most dynamic and interesting villainsthe franchise has ever had, which made his re-introduction to the live-action films at the end ofSoloincredibly exciting. The end of the film establishes Maul as the leader of the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate, setting the stage for a deeper dive into the galaxy’s criminal underworld. Bringing Maul back into live-action was a good decision, as the character’s action sequences are some of the best in the franchise and the story surrounding him is ripe with potential. By spinning off aCrimson Dawnseries on Disney+, Lucasfilm could follow through on the decision and find a passionate fanbase at the end of that tunnel.
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What Happened to Qi’ra
Emilia Clarke’s Qi’ra was a new character introduced inSoloand, in many ways, she was the most interesting part of the film. She was a romantic interest to a young Han, but she had moved on with her life and career in the years that he was still pining after her. When they reunited, she told him that she never escaped the criminal world that they grew up in together. By the end of the film, she killed Dryden Vos and took his place as the face of Crimson Dawn. It was one of the first times in the film that she took control of her fate. But instead of becoming the good guy like Han, she chose to go deeper into the criminal world and work directly for Maul.
Even without bringing Han into the series, aCrimson Dawnshow would allow audiences to see what Qi’ra’s goal was and whether she was actually a villain in the story.Soloestablished Qi’ra as a unique kind of anti-hero in theStar Warscanon. She’s basically a version of Han that chose to embrace the criminal world rather than become a hero. In addition to that, Emilia Clarke is a great actress who deserves to havemore to do in theStar Warsuniverse. She’s already proven to be a television powerhouse withGame of Thrones, so aCrimson Dawnseries would allow Lucasfilm to tap into that same well of talent for Disney+.
Connections to OtherStar WarsMaterial
The period of time betweenRevenge of the SithandA New Hopehas become one of the most explored eras of theStar Warsuniverse, with shows likeThe Bad Batch, Star Wars: Rebels, andObi-Wan Kenobiexisting in that space on top of the moviesSoloandRogue One. With that said, aCrimson Dawnseries could build on a lot of what’s already been established in that time, and it’d have massive live-action crossover potential. We already know that characters such as Ahsoka Tano, Boba Fett, Kanan Jarrus, and the Clone Troopers of the Bad Batch had run-ins with the criminal world around that time. It wouldn’t be a big stretch to have some of those conflicts be with Crimson Dawn.
There have already been severalbattles between Ahsoka and Maulthat have occurred in the animated side of theStar Warsuniverse. With both characters now firmly established in live-action, a show like this could provide some of the best lightsaber clashes of the franchise so far. By crossing over other characters from theStar Warscanon with aCrimson Dawnshow, not only would it give fans another chance to see their favorite characters in live-action, but it would makeSolofeel like a more intertwined chapter of the franchise, rather than the failed relic it seems to be becoming.
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GivingSoloa Better Legacy
Solohas largely been resigned to the trash heap ofStar Wars’ past, which is an unjust fate for a movie that’s actually a decent sci-fi adventure with some exciting new twists for the franchise. Over the last few decades, Lucasfilm has shown a consistent desire to build off their established canon rather than completely abandoning what people might not have liked at first. Though reception to the prequel trilogy was mixed at first, there’s now a passionate fanbase for those films. That has happened largely as a result of shows likeThe Clone WarsandObi-Wan Kenobi,which chose to revisit those moviesand pull out and build upon the best things about them.
There were many factors that contributed toSolo’s box office failure, such as its proximity to the release ofAvengers: Infinity Warand hitting theaters a mere five months after the divisiveness ofThe Last Jedi.If Lucasfilm thinks that the film’s commercial failure is the fault of its content orits choice to re-cast Han, then they are dramatically missing the mark. By building offSolowith aCrimson Dawnseries, Lucasfilm would be giving that film a second chance. It would encourage fans to revisit the film with another set of eyes.Solowould become more than just a footnote within theStar Warsuniverse, as it would be yet another important building block in what has become one of the biggest galaxies in entertainment. By running with the most interesting parts of the film in aCrimson Dawnshow, Lucasfilm could repair much ofSolo’s image, which in turn would help to repair the image of their brand as a whole.
