As the wait continues for “Star Wars: Episode 7,” it’s probably a good time to take a look back at how we all got here, and that’s what Entertainment Weekly has done. A new piece from the magazine dives into the journey of Harrison Ford, who has long, long said he had zero interest in ever playing Han Solo again…only to play Han Solo again in J.J. Abrams‘ film. A prickly interview subject at best, the actor tells it straight when it comes his opinion on, well, anything and it’ll be interesting to hear what he has to say about his reversal when the press rounds for ‘Episode 7’ get underway. For now though, it’s interesting to see just how little he cared for Han Solo over the years.
Recapping interview in 2008, during the rounds for “Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull,” Ford made it clear to EW that he’s much more interested in the action hero historian than the lawless pilot. “He’s got a good heart, but I think he’s certainly a much less interesting character than Indiana Jones,” the actor said. “The breadth of his story utility was never extensive. He was the foil between the other more compelling elements of the film, between the sage old warrior and the young hero. There’s not much breadth of character to explore beyond what we got out of him.”
Indeed, Ford has long said he wants to return for “Indiana Jones 5“ (Disney owns the rights, by the way), and he cares so little for Han Solo, he once advocated for killing him off in “Star Wars: Episode VI — The Return Of The Jedi.” “I talked about it,” Ford said. “I thought it would be fascinating to have him die and give the movie some emotional bottom. It wasn’t a heroic arc so much that I was interested in but giving the film some emotional strength.” Clearly, that didn’t happen. Maybe he’ll get his wish in ‘Episode 7’?
So, what do you think? Is Ford right that Indy is a richer character than Han, or should he just get over carrying the “burden” of two of the most iconic big screen heroes of all time? Let us know below.