In the years since Disney purchased Lucasfilm, they have released five theatrical films in addition to expanding the universe through both animated and live-action series on Disney+. Of all the material they've produced, one film in particular has failed to leave any sort of long-lasting impact, Solo: A Star Wars Story. The critical and audience reception to the Han Solo prequel was generally positive, though its box office performance was a disappointment to say the least. While the first three Star Wars films released by Disney grossed over a billion dollars each, Solo only managed to pull in just under $400 million worldwide.
As a result of Solo's failure to perform on the level of other recent films in the franchise, any plans to develop a sequel to the film or follow-up on of its dangling story threads seem to have been halted altogether. While a second Solo film may be out of the question entirely, a Disney+ series exploring the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate introduced by the film could be worth Lucasfilm's time and effort. Here's why:
More Darth Maul
Darth Maul is one of the most iconic villains in the entire Star Wars canon, and yet he has never really been given an opportunity to shine in a live-action outing. The character was introduced as a young Sith apprentice to Darth Sidious in The Phantom Menace, and while he was certainly menacing in that film, and the extended fight sequence with him at the end resulted in one of the best pieces of music in the franchise, the character himself was little more than a bad guy to fight and kill off in Episode I. It was disappointing to see a character with such potential taken off the board so early in the prequels.
Thankfully, Dave Filoni brought Maul back into the fold with the fantastic animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. That show developed Maul into one of the most dynamic and interesting villains the franchise has ever had, which made his re-introduction to the live-action films at the end of Solo incredibly exciting. The end of the film establishes Maul as the leader of the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate, setting the stage for a deeper dive into the galaxy’s criminal underworld. Bringing Maul back into live-action was a good decision, as the character's action sequences are some of the best in the franchise and the story surrounding him is ripe with potential. By spinning off a Crimson Dawn series on Disney+, Lucasfilm could follow through on the decision and find a passionate fanbase at the end of that tunnel.
What Happened to Qi'ra
Emilia Clarke’s Qi’ra was a new character introduced in Solo and, in many ways, she was the most interesting part of the film. She was a romantic interest to a young Han, but she had moved on with her life and career in the years that he was still pining after her. When they reunited, she told him that she never escaped the criminal world that they grew up in together. By the end of the film, she killed Dryden Vos and took his place as the face of Crimson Dawn. It was one of the first times in the film that she took control of her fate. But instead of becoming the good guy like Han, she chose to go deeper into the criminal world and work directly for Maul.
Even without bringing Han into the series, a Crimson Dawn show would allow audiences to see what Qi’ra’s goal was and whether she was actually a villain in the story. Solo established Qi’ra as a unique kind of anti-hero in the Star Wars canon. She’s basically a version of Han that chose to embrace the criminal world rather than become a hero. In addition to that, Emilia Clarke is a great actress who deserves to have more to do in the Star Wars universe. She’s already proven to be a television powerhouse with Game of Thrones, so a Crimson Dawn series would allow Lucasfilm to tap into that same well of talent for Disney+.
Connections to Other Star Wars Material
The period of time between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope has become one of the most explored eras of the Star Wars universe, with shows like The Bad Batch, Star Wars: Rebels, and Obi-Wan Kenobi existing in that space on top of the movies Solo and Rogue One. With that said, a Crimson Dawn series could build on a lot of what’s already been established in that time, and it’d have massive live-action crossover potential. We already know that characters such as Ahsoka Tano, Boba Fett, Kanan Jarrus, and the Clone Troopers of the Bad Batch had run-ins with the criminal world around that time. It wouldn’t be a big stretch to have some of those conflicts be with Crimson Dawn.
There have already been several battles between Ahsoka and Maul that have occurred in the animated side of the Star Wars universe. With both characters now firmly established in live-action, a show like this could provide some of the best lightsaber clashes of the franchise so far. By crossing over other characters from the Star Wars canon with a Crimson Dawn show, not only would it give fans another chance to see their favorite characters in live-action, but it would make Solo feel like a more intertwined chapter of the franchise, rather than the failed relic it seems to be becoming.
Giving Solo a Better Legacy
Solo has largely been resigned to the trash heap of Star Wars’ past, which is an unjust fate for a movie that’s actually a decent sci-fi adventure with some exciting new twists for the franchise. Over the last few decades, Lucasfilm has shown a consistent desire to build off their established canon rather than completely abandoning what people might not have liked at first. Though reception to the prequel trilogy was mixed at first, there’s now a passionate fanbase for those films. That has happened largely as a result of shows like The Clone Wars and Obi-Wan Kenobi, which chose to revisit those movies and pull out and build upon the best things about them.
There were many factors that contributed to Solo’s box office failure, such as its proximity to the release of Avengers: Infinity War and hitting theaters a mere five months after the divisiveness of The Last Jedi. If Lucasfilm thinks that the film’s commercial failure is the fault of its content or its choice to re-cast Han, then they are dramatically missing the mark. By building off Solo with a Crimson Dawn series, Lucasfilm would be giving that film a second chance. It would encourage fans to revisit the film with another set of eyes. Solo would become more than just a footnote within the Star Wars universe, as it would be yet another important building block in what has become one of the biggest galaxies in entertainment. By running with the most interesting parts of the film in a Crimson Dawn show, Lucasfilm could repair much of Solo’s image, which in turn would help to repair the image of their brand as a whole.