Star Wars: Will Boba Fett Be the Villain in ‘Solo’?

With only four months until the film is released, audiences know barely anything about Solo: A Star Wars Story. Lucasfilm recently revealed the synopsis of what the film will be about, which didn’t include any surprising any information. Given the bounty hunter’s devout fan base, is it possible that the upcoming film will feature Boba Fett as a primary antagonist for the smuggler?

One clue that could point towards Fett’s involvement is that none of the announced cast have been attached as villains in the film, with the closest fit being Thandie Newton being a member of the Empire. While she may be the main villain of the film, it’s possible that she fits a mold like Director Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn), who was a more direct threat to our heroes than the more iconic Darth Vader. Newton’s character might be in more direct conflict with Solo while Boba Fett potentially seeks to capture the smuggler for various other debts he’s amassed with gangsters across the galaxy.

In case he’s not the main villain, a recent Star Wars book shed light on the history shared between Solo and Fett that could point towards the bounty hunter playing a prominent role in the film.

In Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View, writer Paul Dini detailed why Boba Fett made an appearance on Tatooine to lend Jabba the Hutt some support when confronting Solo in Docking Bay 94. Prior to the release of the Special Edition of Star Wars in 1997, Fett only briefly appeared in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

“Boba is stopping over on Tatooine when he’s called on by his old associate Jabba the Hutt to help collect a debt,” Dini described of his story to USA Today. “Naturally, this is the money owed to Jabba by Han Solo. The story is a monologue going through Fett’s head while he backs up Jabba and stares down Han and Chewie.”

With Fett being quick to lend some assistance to Jabba, it could be that the bounty hunter has had previous run-ins with Solo, which could potentially be seen in the upcoming film.

On a more practical level, Lucasfilm could include Fett into Solo as to avoid making an entire movie devoted to Boba Fett. Rumors of such a film date back to 2013 when director Josh Trank was reportedly developing the film as part of Lucasfilm’s spinoff plans. Trank parted ways from Lucasfilm in 2015, leaving an opening for a director and an entire film.

New reports about Lucasfilm’s plans seem to involve an Obi-Wan Kenobi spinoff film, so incorporating Boba Fett into Solo could appease fans who thought he would get his own film while not having to devote an entire picture to the bounty hunter.

Much like Darth Vader’s presence in Rogue One was shrouded in secrecy, Lucasfilm could be keeping a tight lid on Fett’s involvement in the narrative, no matter how minor or major that might be.

Solo lands in theaters on May 25.