You'll Hate How Solo Explains Han’s Name
Clearing up the 'mystery'...
This article contains mild spoilers for Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Disney CEO Bob Iger caused quite the stir last year when, while giving a talk at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business, he revealed some details on what we could expect to see in Solo: A Star Ways Story, saying:
"There were a few things that happened [that were] significant in Han Solo’s life, like acquiring a certain vehicle and meeting a certain Wookiee, that will happen in this film. But you’ll also discover how he got his name.”
Getting the Millennium Falcon and developing a friendship with Chewbacca were always going to be crucial to the Solo movie, but explaining his name? That came out of nowhere, and had fans wondering how the hell it would go down. After all, everyone just expected, not unreasonably, that Han Solo was, well, simply his real name.
Later, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy attempted to clarify things, saying "There's more to Han Solo's name, but it's not that it's not his name. It's obviously his name. It will always be his name."
Clear as mud, then. That made it sound as though it'd show how Han earns his reputation as a pilot and smuggler, which makes a lot more sense. Now, with Solo: A Star Wars Story being released in cinemas, we know what Iger meant by his comments, and it's not exactly great.
After fleeing Corellia, Han enlists himself in the Imperial Academy, with the intention of becoming the best pilot in the galaxy and, eventually, getting back home to his love, Qi'ra. Upon enrollment, however, the character is asked by the ranking officer for his name, to which our hero simply replies "Han."
Then comes the understandable follow-up, with the officer asking him who his people are. "I don't have people," Han says, "I'm alone."
The officer, then, unable to allow him to be put into the system with just one name, decides to have a little bit of a joke and give him a surname. And right there, in that moment, Han Solo is born.
It's only a small moment in the movie, but it's a groan-inducing one, and also completely unnecessary. Han Solo's name was never in question, and never needed explaining, and this answer does nothing to justify its inclusion.
What do you think of the reveal of Han's name? Let us know down in the comments.