5 Star Wars Characters Who Could and Should Appear in Han Solo Standalone Movie

The Han Solo: A Star Wars Story (not final title) movie is ramping up, with principal photography starting next month. The second standalone film in the Star Wars franchise, existing outside the core Skywalker Saga, Han Solo will take us to the time between Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope once again (Rogue One and Star Wars Rebels have been treading that era, of course), telling us a story about a younger Han, the scoundrel before the hero. The cast so far is shaping up nicely, with Alden Ehrenreich as young Han Solo, Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian, and Emilia Clarke as an unnamed character, plus the addition this week of Woody Harrelson as a mentor to Han.

Next: Star Wars: Woody Harrelson Gives First New Detail on Han Solo Role

With an era like the “Dark Times,” as it’s known to fans thanks to that one-liner by Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original film, the storytelling possibilities are all over the place, and that means so are the cameos. Thanks to novels, comics, TV, and other movies, there are a ton of characters that could show up in Han Solo, as well.

Here are five we really want to see cross paths with our favorite smuggler in his new early adventure.

Boba Fett

Okay, he had to be on the list. Getting the chance to see a history betwee Boba Fett and Han Solo is too good to pass up. With Boba Fett’s only “Star Wars Story” movie reportedly indefinitely delayed, this might be the only chance we have to see him in live action for the forseeable future, too. The bounty hunter would have plenty of reason to cross paths with Solo, and the two of them facing off in this era would be a good way to add weight to their relationship in the original trilogy.

Rae Sloane

Grand Admiral Rae Sloane is the public figurehead leader of the Imperial Remnant in the days after the Battle of Endor and the establishment of the New Republic. She’s secretly working under the direction – er – “advisement” of Gallius Rax, but that’s a story for another day. Rae Sloane was an Imperial Navy lifer, and was active in the Empire’s ranks during this era, with a couple of stories told already including in Star Wars: A New Dawn. You need at least one major Imperial to pose a threat to Han Solo, and Rae would be a perfect fit with her wit, intelligence, and drive to do whatever it takes to make the Empire safe, a goal she truly believes is shared by the Emperor.

Hondo Ohnaka

A fan on twitter actually suggested this one first, as a perfect role for Woody Harrelson to be playing. We know he’ll be a mentor to Han Solo and “a bit of a criminal,” and the pirate, smuggler, and bamboozler Hondo, who has been well-established in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels would certainly fit in well amongst Han. There is a slight wrench in that Hondo didn’t seem to recognize the name Lando Calrissian when he heard it on Star Wars Rebels, but there are certainly workarounds to something like that.

Sana Starros and Doctor Aphra

A pair of characters that first appeared in Marvel’s Star Wars comics, Sana Starros and Doctor Aphra are both incredible characters, who have a shared history that takes place right around that era that’s only been hinted at. Add to that a fake marriage between Sana and Han as part of a con, and come on they need to be in this movie. With Aphra’s affinity for adventure and exploration, she’s been described as a slightly evil space Indiana Jones. Basically the perfect adversary to go up against Han Solo. Like nearly everyone on this list, both these characters have aspects of Han Solo in their DNA.

Hera Syndulla

Look, inquiring minds want to know: Who is the better pilot, Han Solo or Hera Syndulla? The Twi’lek captain of the Ghost in Star Wars Rebels has demonstrated incredible skill at the helm of her ship the Ghost, a light freighter that shares some design similarities with the Millennium Falcon. Putting aside that we just flat out want to see Hera come to live action, seeing those two ships flying side by side would be an awesome moment. Maybe they could both be flying in a race, one that Han knows a little shortcut to? Come on, let’s make it happen.