Originally published October 7, 2016. Updated November 29, 2022.
Luke Owen looks at the casting rumours for Han Solo: A Star Wars Story…
It was reported by Variety this week that Disney and Lucasfilm had begun casting the female lead of the Han Solo anthology movie, set for release on May 25th, 2018. The names included Tessa Thompson (Creed), Zoe Kravitz (X-Men: First Class) and Naomi Scott (Power Rangers) who, along with the rumoured Donald Glover as young Lando, means there will be two POC lead characters in the movie. Not only is that a good thing for Disney (a studio that is often attacked for its lack of diversity in its tentpole movies), it also gives us a clue as to who this female lead will be.
Back in April last year, the Marvel Star Wars comic book series introduced us to a new character, Sana Starros, who debuted in Marvel Star Wars #4. Although masked at first, Starros eventually revealed herself walking out of the Millennium Falcon and introducing herself as Han Solo’s wife. That’s right, Han Solo was married before Leia. That scruffy-looking nerf herder!
Of course Han tries to deny it, but there is some truth to her claim.
It’s revealed in subsequent issues that prior to the events of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, the two were working together as smugglers on a scam which required them to pose as a married couple, hence Starros claiming they were official. However, Han being Han, he ran off with her cut of the money and left her alone. Throughout the trilogy of movies, Starros is trying to track down the man she claims as her husband and will injure anyone that gets in her way. In the Marvel comics series, she finally finds him and the two really don’t get on. Leia isn’t overly keen on her either, but that’s another story.
Considering that the Marvel comics series are officially cannon, it’s very possible that Thompson, Kravitz or Scott could play Sana Starros in Han Solo: A Star Wars Story, and the movie could delve further into this story and their relationship. It seems obvious to point out but it is worth noting that Starros is a POC, which would therefore make the trio of actors aesthetically ideal casting.
Of the three, I would wager that Tessa Thompson has the best chance of nabbing the role against the already cast Alden Ehrenreich. Not only is she a big name thanks to her superb turn in Creed, but she’s already staring in the Disney released Thor: Ragnarok. Naomi Scott could become a big name thanks to the Power Rangers reboot, but that film is released after Han Solo: A Star Wars Story begins production. However, it could be possible that directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller take a risk and cast an ‘unknown’. Time will tell.
Time will also tell if my theory that Sana Starros is the female lead in Han Solo: A Star Wars Story. The pieces seem to fall to nicely into place, so could we see Han Solo’s marriage on-screen?
Luke Owen is the Deputy Editor of Flickering Myth and the co-host of The Flickering Myth Podcast and Scooperhero News. You can follow him on Twitter @ThisisLukeOwen and read his weekly feature The Week in Star Wars.
