The Empire reigned supreme in the Star Wars galaxy for 23 years, so, of course, any story taking place in that time period would involve a few run-ins with the Emperor’s goons. But, Ron Howard, the director of the as-yet-unnamed Han Solo standalone film, the second Star Wars anthology since the series’ blockbuster revival, recently hinted at further empirical involvement than maybe some Star Wars fans were expecting.
Howard took to Instagram on Wednesday to post a photo of an Imperial helmet similar to those the Death Star technicians wore in the original Star Wars trilogy. “The Empire Looms Large,” he wrote alongside the photo, confirming that Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich), Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover), and maybe even Han’s mentor, Beckett (Woody Harrelson), might have some trouble with law enforcement that goes beyond planet-side speeders.
After rumors of Darth Vader’s involvement in the Han Solo standalone were put to rest, it’s kind of nice to hear that fans can expect some Imperial involvement. Not that anybody needs the Empire on their tail.
The as-yet-untitled standalone Han Solo Star Wars film is expected to premiere in theaters on May 25, 2018.
