Ron Howard shares a hopeful update for a Solo spinoff (but not a sequel)

Ron Howard is still saying a Solo sequel won’t happen, but there is hope to expand within that world.

Ever since Solo: A Star Wars Story has come out, there’s been rumblings that despite the movie barely being a success, there could still be more to come. Many times over, director Ron Howard has denied that there will be a Solo 2, and he’s denied it once again in a recent interview. But just because the door to a sequel movie is closed, it doesn’t mean all other options to expand within Solo’s universe have been exhausted.

Speaking on the Lights Camera Barstool podcast (via Star Wars News Net), Howard responded to inquiries about what’s next for Solo. Again, while he’s insisted that there probably isn’t a “next” in Solo’s future before, he has mentioned that the movie could be expanded upon in a different way. Here’s what he had to say about Solo’s future:

"No, no rumblings on it… I’m not giving anything away. This is not a spoiler or anything, but I think there is interest in those characters. I think there’s interest in [the] gangster world… somewhere down the line. But I can assure you there is nothing being developed right now — either for a movie or Disney+. But one great thing is there’s been a lot of affection shown for Solo kind of in its afterlife. And so of course that keeps boding well for them to eventually turn it around."

Certainly, “there’s interest” seems to indicate that the door definitely isn’t closed on the Solo saga. But, in this way, it’d probably be far from bringing Alden Ehrenreich back as the young Han Solo. Admittedly, the gangster pitch doesn’t sound immediately exciting. But that’s probably because a big name hasn’t been attached to it yet. So far, with all the Disney+ shows, we’ve been sold based on the character more than the plot itself — i.e., the Mandalorian, Cassian Andor and Obi-Wan. So if Lucasfilm were to attach a name to the series, it could become interesting.

This could possibly lead to a show that directly results in there being a Lando spinoff series. The rumors of Donald Glover returning have been abuzz for a while now, so that would be the perfect opportunity. If not, even bringing Emilia Clarke back as Qi’ra would be a big win. TV has become just as prestigious as movies now, so there’s no stigma for the actors to be against. Plus, both Glover and Clarke have made a name for themselves in TV — Glover with Atlanta and Clarke with Game of Thrones. So committing to a series with roughly eight episodes per season would be nothing compared to what they’ve done before.

Even then, a Solo spinoff could focus on a new character, such as The Mandalorian, and it could still work. But overall, with the “affection” for Solo still there, it could mean we’ll see Lucasfilm plotting to bring back the world of Solo once again.

Would you like to see a Solo spinoff, a Solo sequel, or neither? Let us know in the comments!