With any new Star Wars trailer comes a ton of new information, and we’ve been excitedly pouring over our first real look at Solo: A Star Wars Story. Here are some of our biggest takeaways!
1. A Solo Appearance
We haven’t seen much at all of Alden Ehrenreich’s take on the titular character leading up to this trailer, but now we have a good impression to work with. From what we can see, it appears to be a fairly faithful take, with much of Harrison Ford’s original smarm and cockiness on full display. Elements of other notable character markings are on full display, including Solo’s… -unique piloting style. In all, we’re left with a positive snapshot of the character to come (we hope!).
2. (Wookie Noises)
Speaking of returns, we get just a bit of Solo’s constant companion, Chewbacca. It’s worth noting that Ehrenreich’s character is already translating for Chewie, which implies a standing relationship between the two. Will we see the origins of their partnership, or is that an assumed beginning?
3. Much More Unknown
Aside from the returning favorites, we’ve gotten our first look at newcomers to the Star Wars saga. Of particular interest is the droid L3-37, seen sharing a moment with Donald Glover’s Lando Calrissian at the Falcon’s controls. Little is known about this femininely-programed droid, other than that she will be portrayed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
We also have confirmation of Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke as the mysterious Qi’Ra, who should play a formidable opposite to Solo.
Lastly, we have (potentially) our first look at a main villain for this film. Who are they? No idea yet, though they do seem to be rather barbaric. An interesting turn from the sleek enemy of the Empire.
4. The Falcon, and the Kessel Run?
It’s impossible not to note one of the most important characters to return: the Millennium Falcon. This is a much younger ship, and it looks considerably different than the “junk” Rey and Finn take control of in Ep. VII, with quick looks at a pristine white interior hallway, and a closed-in nose section while in flight.
And in a possible pull from the original EU, we might have seen our first look at the Kessel Run- the famed journey which the Falcon completes in “less than 12 parsecs.” Since a Parsec is a unit of distance, not time, a prominent explanation has always been black holes, and a pilot’s willingness to skirt around them to shorten the distance. Could that be the nebulae we see the ship flying through (with a Star Destroyer in pursuit, no less!
5. Some (Very) Clever Nods
There’s a lot of callback material referenced, though none might be as important as the small golden dice, seen previously across the saga (and of importance at the end of Ep. VIII). They can be seen swinging from the speeder Solo drives near the beginning of the trailer.
Speaking of the speeder, many folks online have noted the similarity of the backlights on the vehicle to the real-world Ford Falcon. Is this a subtle reference to the originator of the role?
Also, Solo’s lines at the end of the trailer could be in reference to the difficult production the film has had, with a late changeover in directors happening behind the scenes (something to the effect of being in trouble before, but fine now).
In all, this is an exciting look at the latest Star Wars standalone! Did you catch anything else worth mentioning? Be sure to comment below!
