—
When it comes to perhaps the greatest shocker of the Disney “Star Wars” films, you might say it’s a duel of the fates.
(Again, spoiler alert.)
Darth Maul has returned to the “Star Wars” saga.
It headlines the leak of the plot of “Solo: A Star Wars Story”, at least as described (or speculated) by fans on Reddit.
It turns out that Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke) is actually working for Maul (reportedly Ray Park), now a crime lord. According to a video, Maul tells Qi’ra to go to Dathomir, Maul’s home planet, to determine what to do with the protagonists of the film. That includes Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich), Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) and Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover), friends in the modern mythology.
Maul ignites a double-bladed lightsaber in the process, part of a 40-second scene, after calling it to himself through the Force, multiple reddit users wrote on the online platform. He is introduced with a subtle play of “Duel of the Fates”, the John Williams score that splashed onto the scene when Maul fights Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) in “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace”, redditors wrote.
“Gave me chills,” redditor Outcasst said.
Many redditors have also affirmed the return of Maul, who was last seen in film being cut in half by Kenobi, but on television, resurrected, in “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”. A second video also confirmed Maul’s appearance in the film.
Park is reprising the role, having played Maul in “The Phantom Menace”. Sam Witwer provides the voice, redditors wrote. Witwer was also the voice of Maul in “The Clone Wars” and “Star Wars Rebels”, where Maul is bested again by Kenobi. (Set a decade before “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope”, according to screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, “Solo” is reportedly set between the “Star Wars” timeline of the two shows.)
Among the four “Star Wars” films released under Disney ownership, does only the appearance of Grand Moff Tarkin and especially Princess Leia in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” rivals this revelation?
“Props to everyone involved for keeping it one of the best-kept secrets this franchise has seen,” redditor The-BBP remarked.
The reason for the Millennium Falcon’s personality, how the Falcon was won, and much more
Audiences may enjoy other aspects of the story.
They will see how the mythic Millennium Falcon gains more of the personality that is loved in the original trilogy, as a female droid’s intelligence is synthesized into the ship, redditors wrote.
They will see a game-based struggle, between Solo and Calrissian, redditors said. The resolution of that contest is referenced in some of the first dialogue heard between Solo and Calrissian when Calrissian is introduced in “Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back”.
Solo and Calrissian, who owns the Falcon at the time, play Sabacc, a game that is part of “Star Wars” lore.
“Each gets to one final hand where they both bet their ships,” redditor BlueLightsaber23 wrote. “Lando bets his Falcon; Han bets an imaginary ship he doesn’t have. Lando wins because he cheats. … they hire Lando to pilot his ship on a job ((a) 25 percent cut later reduced to 20 percent).
“The (Falcon) is basically totally brand new,” BlueLightsaber23 added. “Lando mentions how he added an escape pod. … at the end of the movie, Han wins the Falcon and takes off with it.”
And at film’s end, the Falcon looks nothing like it did not long earlier, having been thoroughly beaten up, redditors wrote.
Audiences will see Solo gain his last name because of a recruitment officer. Solo tells the man that he doesn’t exactly have a social circle – he grew up as an orphan, redditors said.
“Han just says he is all alone, by himself,” redditor drunkill wrote.
Audiences will also see that the Falcon’s nose becomes pronged because Solo ejects an escape pod in an effort to get a tentacled monster seen in a trailer to divert its attention to it, redditors wrote.
“That’s the scene where you see the Falcon become the Millennium Falcon we all know and love,” wrote redditor MonkeyReborn89, who said he attended an advance screening of the film.
Folks were “cheering,” MonkeyReborn89 said, during a scene from the film that many have anticipated – a breakneck-speed piloting described by Solo in “A New Hope” as the Falcon having “made the Kessel run in 12 parsecs.”
“The Kessel run is a series of hyperspace jumps that avoid the natural gravity wells that form in the Maelstrom,” wrote redditor CrisstheNightbringer, who noted he was reporting what he read in his advance copy of “Solo: A Star Wars Story Official Guide”.
“The Falcon achieves its record-breaking run by completely ignoring the traditional route, and risking the gravitation wells of the Maelstrom for a more direct route out,” CrisstheNightbringer added.
“I thought it was definitely a scene that got you going,” MonkeyReborn89 said.
Solo and Chewbacca meet when Imperial staff throw Solo into a cell where “the beast,” as staff describe, dwells. That is Chewbacca, with people like Solo thrown into the den for the Wookiee to eat, redditors wrote.
“The scene where you first see Chewie trying to kill Han was pretty intense,” MonkeyReborn89 wrote. “Chewie stops trying to kill Han when Han starts to speak Shyriiwook and then devise a plan to escape.”
Then, they join together and escape, boarding a ship owned by Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson). After double-crossing Solo, he gets killed near film’s end by Solo, with Solo shooting first, redditors wrote. (There is a major controversy over Solo no longer shooting first in “A New Hope” following edits made by director George Lucas.)
Audiences will see Solo escape Corellia, as Solo’s homeworld, a well-known planet in the “Star Wars” universe but never yet seen on-screen. Then the story will flash ahead three years later, when Solo is a “grunt” in the Imperial army and engaged in a battle that is part of the Empire’s larger effort to maintain absolute control, redditors wrote.
Name-drops are aplenty, and that includes the bounty hunter Bossk from “The Empire Strikes Back,” Aurra Sing from “The Phantom Menace” and a whole lot of printed material, redditors wrote.
“She basically lives through that,” redditor Ryanbrasher remarked.
The film ends with a close-up of dice in the Falcon as Han and Chewie jump into hyperspace, redditor peppibow wrote. (“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” Director Rian Johnson made the dice a plot point in that film.) Just before that, Solo and Chewbacca remark that they need to go to the planet Tatooine to meet a “gangster,” according to multiple redditors. (A gangster on Tatooine in “Star Wars” films has been Jabba the Hutt, to whom Solo owned money.)
Also: famous “Star Wars” species in Twi’leks, Rodians, and Wookiees besides Chewbacca are represented. Minor characters from other films in the saga make appearances. The main villain, Dryden Voss (Paul Bettany), owns relics from the Sith, who are masters of the dark side, including a legendary Holocron, redditors wrote. Also, while there is no crawl like there is in “Star Wars” episodic films (but not the standalone “Rogue One”), there are “setup sentences” and “very 80s sci-fi-esque setup scenes,” BlueLightsaber23 wrote.
“In a way, it makes this movie a standalone sci-fi movie,” BlueLightsaber23 added.
The title of the film is introduced with a sort of hologram of the “SOLO” title “in an actual scene,” BlueLightsaber23 said while providing specifics of multiple conversations about how the film presents to start.
—
◊♦◊
What’s your take on what you just read? Comment below or write a response and submit to us your own point of view at the red box, below, which links to our submissions portal.
◊♦◊
Are you a first-time contributor to The Good Men Project? Submit here:
◊♦◊
Have you contributed before and have a Submittable account? Use our Quick Submit link here:
◊♦◊
Do you have previously published work that you would like to syndicate on The Good Men Project? Click here:
◊♦◊
Got Writer’s Block?
Sign up for our Writing Prompts email to receive writing inspiration in your inbox twice per week.
♦◊♦
We are a participatory media company. Join us.
Participate with the rest of the world, with the things you write and the things you say, and help co-create the world you want to live in.
If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project, please join us as a Premium Member, today.
All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS.
A $50 annual membership gives you an all-access pass. You can be a part of every call, group, class, and community.
A $25 annual membership gives you access to one class, one Social Interest group, and our online communities.
A $12 annual membership gives you access to our Friday calls with the publisher, our online community.
Register New Account
Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here.
Photo credit: Getty Images