The famously troubled production ofSolo: A Star Wars Storyresulted in a lot of changes to the movie. While most of the core cast remained even when the movie switched directors halfway through filming, some of the characters were changed. Now, one of the movie’s stars, Thandiwe Newton, is offering her opinion on the fate of her character inSolo.
Newton was cast alongsideAlden Ehrenreich as Han Soloin theStar Warsorigin movie as Val, a member of the gang of intergalactic thieves. When speaking toInverse, Newton claimed the original script she read left the option open for her character to return in the future. However, the final movie gave her a definitive death scene which Newton calls “a big, big mistake.”
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Newton went on to explain her disappointment in the decision to kill off Val as related to the lack of diversity among themain characters of theStar Warsuniverse. She went on to say, “You don’t kill off the first Black woman to ever have a real role in aStar Warsmovie. Like, are you f***ing joking?” Newton claimed the change was made during filming and it seemed to be based on the fact that a death scene would be easier to film than the originally planned ambiguous ending for her character.
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were originally signed on to directSolobut were fired by LucasFilm halfway through production and were replaced by Ron Howard. The movie went on to receive mixed reviews from critics and fell short of its box office expectations. There has since beenno news of a sequel in developmentdespite some fans calling for one.
Newton’s issues with her character further highlight the troubled production ofSolobut also adds to the ongoing conversation about diversity in theStar Warsuniverse. Newton is not the only actor involved in the franchise to voice their displeasure asJohn Boyega felt his character of Finnwas misused in the sequel trilogy. Interestingly, along with changes to how Newton’s character ended, the changes toSoloalso forced actor Michael K. Williams to leave the movie as its villain only to be replaced with Paul Bettany.
It’s easy to see Newton’s frustration with the last-minute changes which could have allowed her to remain a part of the Star Wars universe and help to create an interesting new character. Regardless of whether or not theSolofranchise continues, the Star Wars universe has plenty of more stories on the horizon, and hopefully, it will continue to add more diverse talent, both in front of and behind the camera.
