Entertainment

This Criminal Group In 'Solo' Brings A Whole Lot Of Bad To The Star Wars Universe

Although there are undoubtedly Star Wars fans who are unsure about what to expect from May 25's Solo: A Star Wars Story, no one in the fandom can deny the appeal of the many cool new characters featured in the movie. The Crimson Dawn in Solo come from the Star Wars books, although the group is a new addition to the on-screen Jedi franchise. Except its members to have a major role in the future of the Star Wars universe.

The Star Wars book Choose Your Destiny: A Han & Chewie Adventure introduced the crime organization called the Crimson Dawn, which was led by Dryden Vos (played by Paul Bettany in Solo) when the Galactic Empire reigned. In the new movie, the characters of Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich), Chewbacca (voiced by Joonas Suotamo), Beckett (Woody Harrelson), and Qi'ra (Emilia Clarke) all interact closely with the Crimson Dawn, especially when it comes to the act of smuggling.

In the Solo trailer, Beckett tells Han, "Assume everyone will betray you," and throughout the movie, the theme of trust is a major theme in relation to the Crimson Dawn. As Beckett also tells Han in the film, "If you come with us, you're in this life for good." Pretty ominous words, and just the type of quote one expects to hear from a Star Wars movie all about Han Solo and his troublesome new friends.

Because Solo very much takes place within the Star Wars universe, nothing that happens in the film can really be considered an isolated event. In fact, the new movie doesn't even take place during a time unfamiliar to fans, as you can probably track the events of the film as occurring between Episode III and Episode IV. Seeing as the Solo storyline takes place during the period when beloved Star Wars characters like R2D2 and C-3PO existed, that means that what happens in the movie could have affected the fates of fans' beloved humans and droids. And once you think about Solo as basically being Star Wars: Episode 3.5, that opens up a lot of doors for intertwining the story of Anakin Skywalker (played by Hayden Christensen) turning to the dark side with the Crimson Dawn criminal heists.

Before you start worrying about a return of Jar Jar Binks in Solo, though, rest assured that the movie only really includes the familiar face of Chewbacca. Otherwise, there are just the younger versions of beloved characters like Han Solo and Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) that fans will recognize. Otherwise the upcoming movie is mostly filled with new characters from the Crimson Dawn. There was a rumor that there'd be an exciting cameo by C-3PO, too, but that was just speculation based on a quote that Mark Hamill let slip during an interview on The Washington Post's podcast, "Cape Up with Jonathan Capehart." In the podcast Hamill spoke about Anthony Daniels, the actor who plays C-3PO, saying, "Daniels was so happy, 'cause he's in every single Star Wars movie. Every single one. All the Prequels, he's in Rogue One, he's in Solo… Whoops! I hope that's not, erm… But anyway, he's in Every. Single. Star Wars movie."

"Whoops" is right. As exciting as the cameos from Star Wars faves may be, the real characters to watch in Solo are the members of the Crimson Dawn — and Lando, of course. You never know, the gangster-like criminals just could make an appearance in Star Wars: Episode IX when it comes out in 2019. Considering that Emilia Clarke's will probably become a fast favorite from her role in this movie, that would be great news for everyone.