Like anyStar Warsmovie,Solowas filled to the brim with a number of Easter Eggs, references and cameos. Many of these Easter Eggs were quite obvious, with the regularly quoted “Kessel Run” being the midpoint of the movie, and Jabba the Hutt being mentioned quite a few times during the third act.
WhileSolowas the firstStar Warsmovie to not feature R2-D2 or C-3P0, it still managed to include a number of other Easter Eggs that manyStar Warsfans did not expect, including a number that were so brief or subtle that it was easy to overlook them. With that in mind, here are 6Star WarsEaster Eggs and references you may have missed inSolo: A Star Wars Story.
6[1] Lando’s Mask
InStar Wars: Return of the Jedi,Lando Calrissianhelped break Han out of Jabba’s Palace by disguising himself as one of Jabba’s guards. He did this by wearing a horned mask / helmet. While no one else in Jabba’s Palace wore a mask like that, Lando still managed to pass as a guard, making it the perfect disguise.
This mask made an appearance inSolo: A Star Wars Storyabout halfway through the movie. Beckett, played by Woody Harrelson, wore this mask during their infiltration of the mine on Kessel, which helped disguise the infamous criminal. It’s likely that this mask remained on the Falcon after the events ofSolo, leading to Lando deciding to wear it himself during the events ofReturn of the Jedi.
5[2] Bossk
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Backintroduced a number of the galaxy’s most feared and distinguished bounty hunters. Among these bounty hunters was Bossk, a Trandoshan criminal, who looked like a humanoid reptile. Bossk became an instant fan favorite, and received a bit of development in the Extended Universe books and comics. He even appeared in a few episodes of the animated seriesStar Wars: The Clone Wars.
Bosskreceived a namedrop early on inSolo: A Star Wars Story, being revealed as one of the criminals that the Crimson Dawn had considered hiring rather than Beckett. This brief reference may end up becoming more than a reference, however. As the end ofSolorevealed, the spin-offs are open to bringing back fan favorite characters who received little development in the primaryStar Warssaga. Perhaps Bossk’s affiliation with the Crimson Dawn will pay off down the road, with him possibly appearing in a sequel as a potential antagonist.
4[3] Lando’s Pronunciaton Of “Han”
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Backconfused a number of fans about the pronunciation of Han’s name. Despite his name always being pronounced similarly to “Hon” in the originalStar Warsmovie, Lando Calrissian pronounced it like “hand,” but without the “d,” inEmpire. This was theorized to be an error by actor Billy Dee Williams, who may not have realized the actual pronunciation, but the reasoning was never actually explained..
Solo: A Star Wars Storygave an explanation to this plot hole by having Lando, this time played by Donald Glover, pronounce Han once again with a soft “a.” This time, however, Han actually corrected the mispronunciation, but Lando refused to pronounce it any other way, becoming both a clever reference and a feasible explanation.
3[4] Scarif
The third act ofRogue One: A Star Wars Storytook place onScarif, the Empire-occupied planet in the Outer Rim. Scarif was revealed to have a number of technological advances made by the Empire that became an essential part in developing their weaponry, including the Death Star. This was also where a number of the weaponry plans and blueprints were located, in addition to a number of AT-AT prototypes.
Scarif was mentioned towards the beginning ofSolo: A Star Wars Storywhen Becket, Han, Qi’ra, and Dryden Vos were trying to decide upon a planet to take hyperfuel coaxium from. However, the idea of stealing from Scarif was almost immediately tossed aside due to its Imperial occupation. It was a very quick reference, but helped to tieSoloin with the rest of theStar Warsfranchise.
2[5] Han’s Dice
This was a little less subtle of a reference inSolo, but helped to tie the universe together a bit more. Han’s chained dice first appeared inStar Wars: A New Hope, being briefly shown hanging in the cockpit of the Millenium Falcon. The dice later appeared inStar Wars: The Last Jediwhen Luke found them aboard the Falcon, and went on to give them to Leia.
Solo: A Star Wars Storyshowed the significance of the dice, with them being Han’s good luck charm during his days on Corellia. However, upon leaving Corellia, the dice were left with Qi’ra. Qi’ra later gave the dice back to Han when he was being held as prisoner on Kessel, giving the “luck” back to him. The dice became more than just a symbol of luck for Han, developing into a symbol of his love for Qi’ra. It is likely that the dice will become more prominent in future Han Solo movies.
1[6] Warwick Davis
Willow,Leprechaun, andHarry Potteractor Warwick Davis made his debut to theStar Warsfranchise inStar Wars: Return of the Jediwhen he played Wicket the Ewok. Since then, Davis has appeared in five otherStar Warsmovies, playing a different character each time. While none of his appearances were ever as notable as his role inReturn of the Jedi, the cameos have become a regular part of the franchise.
While most of the earlier appearances by Davis featured him in an alien costume, or as a CGI character,Solo: A Star Wars Storybecame the second movie to feature Warwick Davis actually showing his face. Davis unmasked himself during the third act ofSolo, playing a member of Enfys Nest’s team of Cloud Riders. It was a brief, yet admirable, cameo by the legendaryStar Warsactor that was certainly appreciated by some of the more devoted fans of the saga.
These were certainly not all of the references and Easter Eggs inSolo: A Star Wars Story, but they were quite easy to miss. What Easter Eggs, references or cameos did you spot in the latest of Lucasfilm’sStar Warsspin-off? Let us know in the comments!
