Star Wars: Han Solo film will reveal how Han got his name

At a conference Q&A, Disney CEO Bob Iger said the 2018 standalone Star Wars movie about Han Solo will reveal how Han got his name.

At a Scale – Future of Tech and Entertainment conference Q&A yesterday, Disney CEO Bob Iger addressed the next couple of Star Wars films in Disney’s pipeline.

After reassuring conference attendees that the plot of Episodes VIII was not changed in spite of Carrie Fisher’s death, Iger turned to the 2018 standalone Han Solo movie. He revealed three details about the movie’s plot. First, the film will span six years of Han’s life. Second, we will see how Han got the Millennium Falcon and met Chewbacca. Finally, and most surprisingly, the film will reveal how Han got his name.

Read Iger’s full quote below, via Entertainment Weekly:

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"“That picks up Han Solo when he was 18 years old and takes him through when he was 24,” the CEO said. “There were a few things that happened [that were] significant in Han Solo’s life, like acquiring a certain vehicle and meeting a certain Wookiee, that will happen in this film. But you’ll also discover how he got his name.”"

It never occurred to me that Han Solo might not be Han’s birth name. But it makes sense that a smuggler would want to build a unique identity through a new name. I imagine that’s how the “Solo” part of Han’s name originates.

Lucasfilm is introducing another new concept by extending the story of the Han Solo movie through six years. A longer linear arrangement makes sense if the goal of the movie is to explain all the formative events in Han’s life, like his acquisition of the Millennium Falcon and partnership with Chewbacca. It would feel unrealistic and too convenient if all of these events happened within a few days.

Next: Episode VIII will not change in the wake of Carrie Fisher's death

Production on the Han Solo movie started in February 2017. The final film will premiere on May 25, 2018.