The full-length trailer for Solo: A Star Wars Story dropped on Sunday, and here are some of the highlights (Lando) and new characters (doesn’t matter as long as there’s Lando) seen in the trailer.
In the first moments, Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) is seen having a showdown with this character:
Some leaked merchandise from Solo called this character Enfys Nest and said she’s the leader of a gang called the Cloud-Riders (a swoop bike-using criminal group which also appeared in the Expanded Universe).
After that, we see Solo and childhood friend Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke) reunited as adults:
Presumably, as Clarke has hinted at in an interview, Qi’ra either betrays Solo or dies.
Then we meet Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson), whose mentorship of Solo is inspired by Long John Silver and Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island.
Beckett tells Solo and Chewbacca, “I’m here about a job. Big shot gangster. Putting together a crew.” The big shot gangster is Paul Bettany’s character, who we’ll get to in a moment, and the job is likely a train robbery of sorts (robbing the Conveyex, seen in the back half of the trailer). Throughout the trailer, Beckett is seen offering his new employ some advice, like “If you come with us, you’re in this life for good” and “Assume everyone will betray you, and you will never be disappointed.” (How’d he know what’s written on my family crest?)
Beckett also gives Solo his iconic blaster:
As for the aforementioned “big shot gangster,” that’s Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany), who is a suave crime boss originally played played by Michael K. Williams but replaced by Bettany when Williams wasn’t available for the reshoots.
Yes, they replaced Omar from The Wire with Tony Stark’s computer. Let’s see if anyone notices.
Qi’ra offers to help Beckett, Solo, and crew rob the Conveyex. To that end, she’ll introduce them to Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover), whom she calls “the best smuggler around.” This leads to some scenes with Lando, so let’s just take a moment to appreciate how smooth he is.
Damn, he’s smooth.
We also get to see Chewbacca saying goodbye to someone. Is it his wife Malla from the old Star Wars Holiday Special? Would they actually remind us the Star Wars Holiday Special exists? Speaking of old things, we learn Chewbacca’s real age during the time of the Kessel Run:
The trailer ends with some positive exclamations intermingled with violence. There’s Solo inverting the “bad feeling” running joke by saying “I have a really good feeling about this.” There’s Vos using some kind of laser whip, seemingly to destroy his own belongings out of anger. There’s Chewbacca picking up an Imperial soldier and spiking him (yesssss). And there’s Lando’s sassy droid co-pilot L3-37 (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) pumping her little robot fist and yelling, “So glad we took this job!” We have a really good feeling about her.
Solo: A Star Wars Story opens May 25th.