A new image for Solo: A Star Wars Story has cleared up a long-standing rumor that Boba Fett is in the film. The theory that Boba - one of Star Wars' fan-favorite characters - would appear in Solo is an obscenly popular one. After all, both Han and Boba are part of the galaxy's criminal underworld before the original trilogy, and it's always been clear the two had some history between them; a film exploring Han's backstory seemed the ideal opportunity to reveal it.
Yet nothing explicitly from the production has suggested that. There have been rumors that Alden Ehrenreich is signed up to play Han Solo in a trilogy, meaning Lucasfilm are unlikely to reveal everything about his backstory in a single movie, especially one set a decade before the originals. Meanwhile, the studio has always been interested in producing a Boba Fett film. It's also worth noting that, from a marketing viewpoint, concealing a popular character like Boba Fett would make absolutely no sense at all.
Read More: Boba Fett Is (Probably) Not In Solo: A Star Wars Story
Still, that hasn't stopped the rumors from rumbling. They got a real boost in September when Paul Bettany wrapped up filming for Solo. Director Ron Howard released an image on social media, with what appeared to be Boba Fett's silhouette in the background. Thankfully, the latest image from Empire finally reveals the truth.
It's Not Boba Fett - It's Mandalorian Armor
The new photo shows Paul Bettany as Dryden Vos, likely the main villain of Solo, standing before a piece of Mandalorian armor. While this may lead some to speculate Vos is himself a Mandalorian, it seems more likely to be a collectible in his home. Indeed, prior to Ron Howard's reshoots, Vos was played by Michael K. Williams and was initially a motion-capture character, "half mountain lion, half human." The script hasn't been changed during the reshoots, so while Vos's appearance has changed significantly, he's still not going to be a Mandalorian. Any changes are clearly only cosmetic.
So what the picture really does is put to bed those Fett rumors: based on the placement on the set, this armor is what we saw in that original tweet that sparked the Fett rumors. It appears Vos is simply in possession of one version of Mando armor; one that is very ornate, almost Samurai like, and feature two distinct, close-range weapons.
Read More: Solo Theory: How R2-D2 and C-3PO Could Still Cameo
No, This Isn't Slave I in Solo Either
However, with one Boba rumor disproven, another emerges, this time focusing on his craft. It's been alleged Slave I can be seen during the Kessel Run sequence in the recent "Crew" TV spot for Solo. However, this doesn't seem to be the case - it's doesn't look at much like the ship in movement, and bears a closer resemblance to another, possibly Imperial craft from earlier in the tease.
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By now, it should be pretty clear that Boba Fett is not in Solo. That's a smart play on the studio's part; the reality is that shoehorning cameos into Han's history would only serve to shrink the Star Wars galaxy, not to expand it. If rumors are right that Ehrenreich is signed up for three pictures, Lucasfilm hopes Solo will serve as a launchpad for more movies. Adding Boba Fett into this story would actually limit their chances of accomplishing that.
