Power To The Prequels
Rogue One briefly visited Darth Vader’s Mustafar getaway, and Lando Calrissian name-dropped the planet Felucia during the course of Solo. Yet aside from some minor nods like these, the spinoffs – and the Sequel Trilogy – have mainly taken their cues from George Lucas’ core movies.
Look, we get it. The prequels aren’t as popular as the originals. They’re rough, irritating, and they get everywhere. But whether you like them or not, they are canon. They’re an irremovable part of Star Wars’ fabric. As such, consistently sidelining three important installments in the saga feels strange and disingenuous at this stage. It’s confusing, especially when you think about just how imaginative many of the races and planets are in the prequels. Indeed, it’s even more so when you consider that Solo – and its potential sequels – are set roughly halfway between the two main trilogies.
Surely Han would have had to conduct business in Coruscant’s seedy criminal underbelly at some stage? What changes would the Empire’s reign have wrought upon the galaxy’s capital? And why shouldn’t Chewie convince his co-pilot to return to his home world of Kashyyyk? As such, the adventures of Han Solo would be the perfect place to revisit some material from the prequels. Polis Masa, Kamino, Naboo – the possibilities are endless!
Indeed, this prequel-avoidance already looks to be on the wane. With Darth Maul back from the dead, the most drastic step towards bridging the two trilogies has been taken. Plus, J.J. Abrams has already promised more inter-connectivity in Episode IX. All that’s now needed is for another Han Solo movie to seal the deal, and provide us with compelling scenarios that make good use of Star Wars’s imaginative world.