Don't expect J.J. Abrams to fully get the band back together now that he has been hired to helm Star Wars: Episode IX. Despite lingering rumors that Han Solo might have survived his confrontation with his son, Harrison Ford basically puts the notion to rest by telling a journalist, regarding his future in the Star Wars universe:
I can't imagine it. But it is science fiction... I'd rather not. You know, at this point I'd rather do something else. Just because it's more interesting to do something new
Harrison Ford was being interviewed by GQ about his upcoming stint in the Blade Runner universe, where he'll reprise the role of Rick Deckard for Blade Runner 2049. It's the most recent role reprisal for Ford, who also brought back Han Solo and will once again play Indiana Jones... he thinks. But as for Han possibly showing up on screen in a Star Wars project, Ford seems to believe that his time has passed, even admitting in the article that he partially only agreed to come back if the back if they let him kill his iconic outlaw off in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Not that we expected to see Han Solo climbing out of that chasm that he fell into in Star Wars 9. But one way that some fans probably thought they'd see Han Solo again would be in Force Ghost form, perhaps at the moment of redemption for his "lost" son, Ben (Adam Driver). That's how Star Wars works, doesn't it?
Harrison Ford's statement isn't definitive. And with JJ Abrams back on the clock, I think there's a better than average chance this happens in Star Wars: Episode IX. Though, maybe Ford filmed it already when he worked on The Force Awakens, telling J.J., "Film it now, and don't bother me later with this shit." I pray that's how it went down.
The more interesting debate raging around Han Solo in the new Star Wars saga isn't how he'd come back, it's how he left. Film threads exist with fans debating if Han actually triggered the lightsaber himself, sparing his son the need to have to do it, and giving Ben an "out" when he seeks redemption later on in the story. Do you think that's what went down?
The debate rages on. Maybe we'll learn more about Han in this year's Star Wars: The Last Jedi. As for Harrison Ford, he'll be back on screen in Blade Runner 2049, in theaters October 6.
