Lit Han and Leia in the EU - A Discussion Thread (Life Debt spoilers must be tagged)

Not to mention it probably won't make the slightest bit of sense chronology-wise.

 

LOL yeah, I already saw a million "Qi'Ra and Han are Rey's parents!" articles. I think a lot of non hard core SW fans think Han and Leia broke up right after ROTJ, so in that timeline it's still plausible for Han to go back to her, since TFA never says whether they were married or for how long for.

Spoilers for Solo Trailer:

Spoiler

So from the trailer it looks like Han and Qi'Ra grow up as childhood friends on the streets of Corellia, but then they're separated during the time jump during which she becomes quite wealthy and high status, and he gets kicked out of the army. But she joins up with his crew again when they meet up again so maybe something happens to her wealth/status. My guess is that something will go wrong with a heist at the end which will end in Lando being pissed at him and her dying. I sort of hope (as a Han/Leia fan) though that their relationship is over by the time she dies, because if she dies while they're still together, that'll kind of taint the Han/Leia romance by painting her as the "One Who Got Away".

I sort of got a GOTG feel off the trailer, with Alden channelling more Star Lord than Han. He doesn't sound anything like Harrison Ford who has a very distinctive voice, which kind of throws me, but his impression isn't bad. I'd honestly probably really enjoy this movie if it was a GOTG heist style film with original characters instead of Han, because I love that kind of stuff in SW.

EDIT: Oh great, the film hasn't even come out yet and the "Han and Qi'Ra are such a better couple than Han and Leia!" has already started

 

That’s not really what it says.

 

The Facebook article says:


ELLE Magazine (US)
2 hrs ·


Han Solo and Qi'ra (Emilia Clarke) already have SO much chemistry


The First Full Trailer for Solo: A Star Wars Story Will Change Your Mind About the Han/Leia
Forget young Skywalker—and meet young Han Solo.
ELLE.COM



It says the trailer will change your mind about Han/Leia and that "Han and Qi'Ra already have so much chemistry" - which means after you see Han and Qi'ra's relationship, you'll look at Han and Leia's relationship differently.

And seriously, every Han/Leia fan better prepare themselves for a million "Han and Qi'Ra are such a better couple than Han and Leia!" after the movie comes out, because we know from the past few years the press loooooves beating up on Han and Leia

 

Spoilers for Solo:

Spoiler

So now that it's been confirmed that Qi'Ra is Han's love interest, do you think we'll have to compete with Han/Qi'Ra fans wanting to see more of them in the books?

I don't really want her to die, because that'll give their love story too much of a "The One That Got Away" feel that might cheapen him and Leia's later love story, but on the other hand, if she doesn't die, some EU author is inevitably going to write Han getting back together with her in the time period he's separated from Leia. It's kind of a no win situation.

 

Pure guesswork

Spoiler

Qi'Ra will be revealed to be an Imperial agent, your standard 'the mission is all' type which in turn sets in place Han's cynicism towards anyone professing to be about a 'cause'.

 

Tessa as Qira >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

Spoiler

I'd be down for that, we've never really seen a main character female villain (Phasma was sorely underused). I just want them to be over and done with before she inevitably dies.

I do find it kind of weird their relationship starts with them growing up together as kids, since usually that would foster a brother/sister like relationship not a romantic one? Maybe they're going for a Pip/Estella kind of thing.

EDIT: Ha @Jedi Jessy I am sad that we didn't get Tessa or Zoe Kravitz as Qi'Ra. The similarities between her and Leia physically are going to draw a lot of comparisons with click-bait articles about how Qi'ra was so much better for Han than Leia was, blah blah.

 

I think it's possible. Now I'm just interested in Lando's arc and how they will treat him (Thandie Newton seems to be cool too but I don't get why she haven't a poster like the others)

 

Just wondering, when was this confirmed?

 

Spoiler

It was in EW out today. Actually, it sounds like they're doing it pretty similar to Han/Bria in the old EU with them being together as teenagers, splitting due to circumstances while the woman rises up high in the galaxy, getting back together many years later, and then her (likely) dying.

I am kind of interested to see a film noir look at a femme fatal character, which hasn't been done before in Star Wars based on the description in EW.

So far I'm buying Donald Glover more as Lando than Alden. It'll probably just take me some time to get used to him.

I have a feeling Thandie's going to be a throwaway character like Phama. Like a lot of promo spots but will only be in the movie for like 5 minutes.

 

Star Wars #43

Spoiler

It showed to me Han and Leia has more in common than they thought. Leia said to Han he was really great as leader and he was like "nah hehe". Han really need to believe more in himself

 

Ooh I'll have to pick this up!

Interview with Emilia Clarke, they mention Han eventually ending up with Leia]

Spoiler

http://ew.com/movies/2018/02/08/emilia-clarke-solo-a-star-wars-story/

As the dad of a little girl who loves Star Wars, I’m glad there are a lot of strong women for her to choose from. A lot of variety now.
Very much. And there is a female presence to this movie. Han Solo is only surrounded by strong women. He doesn’t know any woman who doesn’t stand up for herself, has got game and chops and intelligence and wit. Those are the only women in his life. And then he meets Leia, so it all kind of falls into place.

Based on the other interview questions, it really sounds like she backstabs him and then dies. She doesn't talk about Han suffering a tragic loss, but about how her character is in it to survive and part of the movie is figuring out who to trust and whose side people really are on.

I do like that they've made his LI a completely different background and personality to Leia (compared to the EU), by someone who grew up hard on the streets and is struggling to survive but kind of a ruthless cutthroat type to get by.

 

There's gotta be SOME reference to Leia in Solo: A Star Wars Story, right? I mean, I would be shocked if she isn't somehow mentioned in passing.

 

Hmm I dunno, I feel like that might seem too contrived. The movie takes place on Corellia and some other big planets, there doesn't seem like there would be any need for an Alderaan reference there.

I did notice thought in Alexandra Bracken's book The Princess, the Scoundrel and the Farmboy Han thinks that he's seen Leia before when he meets her. This wouldn't come up in the Solo movie because she's be too young, but I wonder if they're thinking of putting in some chance meeting of them or him seeing her on the holo shortly before ANH starts.

Some nice canon descriptions of Han and Leia's marriage and family here: People should be relieved to see that there's no sign of them having anything but a loving marriage and being loving parents to Ben in these descriptions, and it also says that Han never thought he'd settle down until he met Leia.

 

Ann Crispin did something like that in Paradise Snare (although it wasn't shortly before ANH):

 

There's also that part in the Leia book where she is running around looking for a ship and narrowly misses the Falcon as it's taking off.

 

Ooh yes, both those references were cute Easter eggs. They also reference Leia in THG when a fortune teller tells Han he'll end up with a beautiful dark eyed woman of royal lineage or something like that. Kasdan's not a Han/Leia fan though, so I can't really see him putting in a wink and nod of that kind though.

More detailed drawings of the Falcon, including Han's wedding gift to Leia. I still don't see where everyone sleeps when there's multiple people on the Falcon though...

Spoilers for #43:

Spoiler

Star Wars #43 was great for Han/Leia! It showed Leia respecting and admiring Han for his leadership skills and Han showing that he cares about the Rebellion and isn't just in it for the money. Their interactions felt totally in character and it showed them having a deep bond between comrades who trusted each other.

 

I think star wars comics are more close to ESB now

 

Their characterizations and interactions are miles better than they were in the earlier comics. And they're really showing Han growing up to be part of the Rebellion and a natural leader, so you can see how he's changing and developing to the guy we meet in ESB.

Also, aww!

 

Last Shot, by Daniel José Older

“Part of it takes place post-Return of the Jedi, and that’s where we see Han, Leia, a very young Ben Solo, and Lando come into the story,” Siglain adds.
http://ew.com/movies/solo-star-wars-book-connections/last-shot-by-daniel-jos-older-1

Yes!!! So excited to read this. Also excited to see the whole Han/Sana thing go down.

Spoilers for Solo:

Spoiler

One of the parts of the book takes place between Solo and ANH. I wonder how they'll explain Qi'ra not being around?

 

Solo:

Spoiler

Presumably the film itself will handle that. Emilia sure mentioned ideas about "trust" and "twists" a whole bunch in her Entertainment Weekly interview, so I reckon she's going to end up betraying Han in some capacity.

 

Spoiler

Yeah unless Emilia was majorly misleading she all but came out and said that Qi'ra was going to betray Han (and then presumably die). But I doubt they'd want to spoil that in a book released before the movie comes out (it comes out in April). So how are they going to explain her being gone? If she recently died presumably Han would still be dealing with the fall out of that emotionally. Maybe the entire thing will be written from Lando's POV and we'll never hear what Han is thinking?

 

Spoiler

Oh, I see what you mean. Hm, maybe it'll be written in such a way that Qi'ra just doesn't come up, especially if it's Han and Chewie palling around getting into scrapes. Maybe it's from Chewie's POV, and we'll never hear anything.

 

Spoiler

I'd love a book from Chewie's POV! We haven't had anything since A Forest Apart in the Legends. He's always underused in the EU, hopefully that changes.

I guess it wouldn't be too hard to get around if the book is action packed. Bria never comes up in Han's thoughts in Scoundrels which takes place immediately post ANH or any of the other 4 ANH-ESB books which have his POV in them.

I wonder if Dr. Aphra will make an appearance and we'll see her relationship with Sana...Now THAT would be cool.