Solo: A Star Wars Story let fans witness some of the most important moments in the life of our favorite space smuggler, but now we know about some amazing scenes we almost saw.
The film’s co-writer Jon Kasdan shared a bounty of incredible insights on Twitter about the process of developing the movie, and they include ideas, characters, and moments that were under either consideration at one point, in the script, changed entirely, or cut in the editing room.
You’ll want to check out Kasdan’s entire thread, but we put together all of the things we almost saw in Solo and what they would have meant for the movie.
https://twitter.com/JonKasdan/status/1040529501870944256
#2 – David Bowie Inspired Vampires
The White Worms of Corellia, which ended up looking very worm-like, were originally described in the script as “well-dressed, vampire albino aliens ala David Bowie in The Hunger.” That description makes us think of much smaller, much cooler-looking Utapauns, and we’re all in on that description. But without the alien look of the White Worms that moment, which involved Han threatening Mother Proxima with a fake thermal detonator, would have lost some of its connections to what Leia did to the very alien-looking Jabba.
Side note: In case there was any question, Kasdan confirmed Han absolutely told Leia about what he did on Corellia, which is where she got the idea from.
#7 – TIE Fighter Cockpits Rolling Around like Bowling Balls
Kasdan said the Speeder chase at the start of the movie went through many iterations with ideas that didn’t make it in, but the one he most wish had was a sequence that included wingless TIE fighter cockpits falling off an assembly line and rolling around as Han tried to avoid them. We really wish this had made it in too, because it would have both looked amazing and been really funny.
# 11 – A Good-Looking Tag and Bink
We were stoked when we heard fan favorite EU characters Tag and Bink would be in the film, but their appearance ( which you can now watch) during Han’s Imperial trial was cut in part because Ron Howard thought they were too good looking and charismatic for the scene. We doubt that would have been an issue, but that scene might have slowed the film down so we can see why it was cut.
#tagandbink ? pic.twitter.com/1EzUbS3MQs
— Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward) October 14, 2017
#12 – A Fourth Member of Beckett’s Crew
Beckett originally had another member in his crew, the very large Korso. He was the group’s “muscle,” and his death early in the film was meant to be a reason for Beckett to want Chewie with him. You can see Korso in some scenes, but ultimately Kasdan says he was cut because it would have been confusing to give the audience another person to meet, only for them to be quickly killed. We agree.
#14 – Han and Chewie Dump Garbage on Stormtroopers
For a long time Beckett was going to leave Han and Chewie behind, forcing them to steal an Imperial garbage truck to escape. That sequence would have included Han dumping trash on Stormtroopers. While it was never filmed it was still included late in the drafting process, but the movie had enough comedy without it.
#16 – A Gangster Instead of Coaxium
Kasdan says the Conveyex Job was included right from the first draft, but instead of stealing coaxium, they considered having them hired by another crew to break out a dangerous criminal. This would have changed some of the details of Solo later, but it would have had a cool payoff in a sequel, where Kasdan says the grateful gang would have returned the favor by bailing out Han eventually.
#18 – Dryden Vos’s Island Fortress
The gangster Dryden Vos ended up having a sweet ship for his base of operations, but before that he did his work from an island fortress “like Monst-Saint Michel,” except his palace had a system of canals that Lando would have driven through in act 3 on a Star Wars-like “go fast boat.” Dryden’s Kalevalan yacht was cool, but oh man just imagine Lando’s cape flying in the wind as he flew by on a speedboat!
#20 – Dryden Decapitates a Rival
Even though we all saw the demise of Jango Fett, it was ultimately decided not to include Dryden Vos cutting the head off of a regional director. Having his head roll across the floor doesn’t exactly scream “kid’s movie,” whereas chopping off hands all the time is downright wholesome.
#38 – Han and Chewie Chased by a Space Elephant
Kasdan says the idea he most regrets not filming involved an elephant-like beast of burden with a burrowing drill on its face. Called a Wapota, it was going to chase Han, Chewie, and Sagwa as they escaped Kessel with the coaxium. Budget concerns resulted in the slow chase being cut despite Kasdan’s efforts to keep it, and we wish they had because he said it involved some great banter between Han and Chewie. We love great banter! In fact, give us all of your banter fodder. (Nope, not sorry. Not even a little.)
#42 – Han Held up by a Tractor Beam
Despite being filmed, a sequence before the start of the Kessel Run where Han escaped an Imperial tractor beam by loading up Lando’s mini ship with some coaxium and firing it at the Destroyer was cut. Seeing the Millennium Falcon stuck in a tractor beam would have been a fun callback (call forward?) to A New Hope, but Kasdan said it slowed down the whole sequence, and we wouldn’t change anything about it.
#44 – A Scary Planet with Huge Lovecraftian Monsters
This might be the most enticing “what-if” of them all, because it involved a pit stop on the Kessel Run that saw the Falcon land on “spooky Ridley Scott-type planet” that was full of “enormous Lovecraftian monsters” that ate one of Beckett’s crew. Kasdan says original directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord correctly realized it slowed down the sequence too much, but this is where the idea for the summa-verminoth creature they ran into at the end of the maelstrom came from. Seems like they found the right balance, even if that planet sounds incredible.
#47 – Bossk!
Even though Kasdan “fought long and hard for it,” one thing he couldn’t convince everyone to keep was the bounty hunter Bossk, seen briefly in The Empire Strikes Back, as Enfy Nest’s number two. He would have turned his back on her at the end (like a Bossk!), but it might have come across as too much of an Easter Egg and less like an organic inclusion, so we can see why he was left out.
It’s crazy how many great ideas and moments don’t make it into a movie for so many reasons, but this list is just further proof it needs a sequel. They can call it Solo: Dos.
Okay yeah that probably won’t make the cut either.
Which one of these “almosts” do you wish had been included? Tell us in the comments below.
Images: Lucasfilm
