Ron Howard Teases Tag and Bink for 'Han Solo'

Screen Rant

Ron Howard Teases Major Non-Canon Legends Cameo In Han Solo

By Cooper Hood

Published Oct 14, 2017

Ron Howard has confirmed two special cameos that are set for the young Han Solo movie that will introduce two Legends characters.

Star Wars Legends characters Tag and Bink will have a cameo appearance in Han Solo, making them officially part of Star Wars canon. In the years before Disney brought back the Star Wars universe in full force, stories within the galaxy far, far away continued to be created in various mediums. This Expanded Universe was designated as non-canonical "Legends" after Disney bought Lucasfilm in order to make way for new storytelling. The move was an easy one to make as the studio looked to clarify the canon of Star Wars, but also alienated stories and characters that fans had grown to love.

But, with so much established lore that would no longer be a part of active storytelling, Lucasfilm has continued to go back to Legends to pick the best pieces from it and bring it into the official canon of Star Wars. It has happened on TV with Grand Admiral Thrawn coming to Star Wars Rebels, but the movies have not embraced Legends characters as often. Yet, it will be Han Solo that brings in two cult favorites.

Han Solo's new director Ron Howard is continuing his online publicity push, but this time the teasing will turn Legends into canon. Howard's latest post on Twitter features a photo of him with two Imperial officers, but it is the caption that will catch the eyes of Expanded Universe fans. Not only does it confirm that former Legends characters Tag Greenley and Bink Otauna will be featured in some capacity, but also that Han Solo writer Jon Kasdan will portray one of them.

#tagandbink ? pic.twitter.com/1EzUbS3MQs— Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward) October 14, 2017

Thank You, Kevin. I'm a huge fan and I had to get 'em in there, and then had to play it myself (with Toby Hefferman) to do it justice— Jon Kasdan (@JonKasdan) October 14, 2017

Tag and Bink are a duo that had limited run in the Expanded Universe, each appearing in four issues of their own comic Star Wars: Tag & Bink. Oddly enough, the two were brought into the EU by Kevin Rubio and brought a comedic sense to the Star Wars world. With the oddballs being included in Han Solo, it could be a signal that Lucasfilm and Howard are keeping the part of the comedic approach everybody was expecting when Phil Lord and Chris Miller were at the helm.

That said, with them only just now being included in production (or just now being revealed), it would be surprising if they had a big role to play - even with their comic selves crossing paths with several major characters in the original and prequel trilogies. At the very least, it shows Jon Kasdan - the son of legendary screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan - bringing his style into the Star Wars universe, so much so that he was eager to play one of the characters. For a movie that spans several years and will introduce many new characters, maybe Tag and Bink won't be the only Legends characters to achieve canon status in Han Solo.