It’s Definitely Time To Give Up On Solo 2 Ever Happening Now

A recent Star Wars book announcement means that a sequel to Solo: A Star Wars Story is even less likely now. Solo: A Star Wars Story was the second Star Wars anthology film, following in the footsteps of the 2016 mega-hit Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. After the billion-dollar box office success of Rogue One, many anticipated Solo would be equally popular, especially considering its focus was one of Star Wars’ most prominent legacy characters. Unfortunately, this success was not to be, and the film debuted to middling reviews and an average box office, ending the franchise’s line of anthology films for the foreseeable future.

Solo: A Star Wars Story was hurt by numerous creative differences behind the camera, as well as the controversial recasting of Han Solo, as Alden Ehrenreich was chosen to take on that momentous responsibility. Despite a fun adventure, a compelling character in Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke), and even a Darth Maul cameo, Solo had a hard time winning over the general audience. Since Solo’s release, however, numerous spinoffs have been rumored or publicized, including the Lando Disney+ TV show starring Donald Glover. More recently, author E.K. Johnston announced her new novel Crimson Climb, which will focus on Qi’ra’s time in the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate. This novel, however, means that a genuine Solo 2 is even more unlikely.

Related: Why Star Wars Should Bring Back Alden’s Han Solo, Not Ford’s

The Qi’ra Novel Likely Means Solo 2 Will Never Happen As A Movie Or Show

Though a new Qi’ra story is exciting, as that character deserves to have her story explored, it also means that a direct Solo movie sequel or even a Solo sequel show is less likely to happen in the future. Publishing has always been an integral part of the franchise, and if this Qi’ra Star Wars novel does well, it could mean that the future of Solo’s continued storytelling lies with an ongoing series of books, and not with film or television. Solo: A Star Wars Story ended with an intense cliffhanger concerning Qi’ra, Crimson Dawn, and Darth Maul, a story which is now more likely to end up being told in novels, rather than in cinemas or even on Disney+.

Considering Solo: A Star Wars Story’s disappointing performance at the box office, a direct sequel was already unlikely. The announcement of the Qi’ra novel, however, has proven Lucasfilm does still believe that the movie’s characters have potential and that its loose narrative threads deserve to be drawn together. With the advent of Disney+, many had wondered whether that would be the perfect platform for a revival of Alden Ehrenreich’s interpretation of Han Solo, but the Qi’ra novel seems to dash those hopes entirely. Some stories in Star Wars are only told with the written word, and it seems Solo, and all its narrative potential, is heading in that direction too.

Why Solo 2 Still Deserves A Chance (Even If It’s On Disney+)

Despite Solo: A Star Wars Story’s disappointing box office performance, a potential Solo sequel still deserves to be made – especially with the arrival of Disney+, giving an opportunity to tell smaller stories within the Star Wars canon has never been easier. Those smaller stories can further flesh out the Star Wars galaxy, its inner workings, as well as the characters that inhabit it. A Solo sequel does not need to have a massive galaxy-altering story – it can just give audiences more insight into who Han Solo truly was, and how his past affected his decision to become part of Star Wars’ Rebellion. Solo was an adventurous romp, a formula that could easily be replicated on Disney+, either as a movie or as a miniseries.

Additionally, Alden Ehrenreich deserves another shot at the character of Han Solo. He had the difficult task of stepping into Harrison Ford’s shoes, yet did so with aplomb, providing his own interpretation while still wholeheartedly embracing the core of the character. Instead of being lauded for taking on such an important legacy, Ehrenreich instead became the focal point of the debate around recasting versus de-aging. Since then, a young Luke Skywalker has been revived multiple times with de-aging technology, yet the debate still rages on. If Solo 2 never happens, perhaps Ehrenreich can appear in the Lando Calrissian show, but in any case, Solo: A Star Wars Story deserved more than it was given.

Next: Star Wars Is Finally Going To Resolve Solo’s Cliffhanger Ending