Solo: A Star Wars Story - Every Deleted Scene

Solo: A Star Wars Story is now available on Blu-ray and digital, meaning fans can see all of the film's deleted scenes. A common phrase in the industry is that a film is written three times, with the third being the editing phase. There, the director examines all of the footage they've collected, figuring out how to tell the tightest, most cohesive story possible. Of course, not everything shot is going to make the final cut; a necessary part of the filmmaking process is killing your darlings and leaving some sequences on the cutting room floor. Solo is no different.

Lucasfilm released some of these online to promote Solo's home media release, but now they're all here for your viewing pleasure. Commonly, fans can understand why scenes were deleted, but a chance few arguably would have benefitted the movie (see: Kylo Ren exploring the Millennium Falcon in The Force Awakens). So how do Solo's shape up? Let's run down the list and see. For those interested in understanding the greater context of where these sections fit in, most of them are included in the Solo novelization.

Proxima's Den

Solo begins with Han coming up short on an assignment and stealing a speeder to get away from danger. He sees this as an opportunity to finally leave Corellia, but returns to Lady Proxima's den (even though that puts his life on the line) so he can bring his first love and oldest friend, Qi'ra, to freedom with him. In the finished film, the two have a brief exchange where they discuss using stolen coaxium to get their way off-planet. Han actually gives Qi'ra a container of it, which they use to bribe an Imperial officer.

Apparently, different versions of Han's initial meeting with Qi'ra were shot, as this deleted scene has numerous differences from the one audiences saw in theaters. While Han and Qi'ra's conversation hits similar beats, the execution has changed. This is less romantic (no warm embraces or passionate kisses) and doesn't completely establish the pair's dynamic, which is the beating heart of the film. It cuts right as Han is brought before Lady Proxima, so it's unknown what other changes were made to this sequence.

Corellian Foot Chase

This is taken from the sequence where Han and Qi'ra are on the run from Moloch and the White Worms after escaping Lady Proxima's den. In the scene, the two youngsters make their way through a market and hide in a barrel of eels to avoid detection. They stay in there for a short while, as the Corellian hounds are distracted by the foul stench. For some peculiar reason, Han feels this is the proper time to get intimate and awkwardly goes in for a kiss before Qi'ra rejects him.

There's a definite Raiders of the Lost Ark vibe here (it calls to mind the scene where Marion hid in a barrel to hide from Nazis), but it's something director Ron Howard could afford to lose. It's just an added bit of suspense and delays the film from progressing forward. Solo's first act needed to get through a lot of setup before jumping into the crux of the narrative, so trimming something inessential reads as a smart decision.

Han Solo: Imperial Cadet

Before becoming a smuggler (and eventually a hero of the Rebellion), Han was just trying to get by in life by joining the Empire. Solo unfortunately skims over this section of his life, showing the tail-end of Han's tenure as an Imperial. During the Battle of Mimban, he has a chance encounter with Beckett's gang and chooses to follow a criminal's footsteps. As for how Han found himself on Mimban, this deleted scene answers the question.

After crashing his damaged TIE fighter in a star destroyer's hangar, Han faces trial for insubordination. Instead of following orders, Solo made a bold maneuver to rescue a fellow pilot in need. Despite his plea, Han is reassigned to the infantry division, stationed on Mimban. This scene was probably cut due to time and story concerns (it doesn't add much to the narrative, admittedly), but it would have featured a fun Legends connection. If the novelization is anything to go by, this is where Tag & Bink made their cameo, but they'll have to wait another day to make it to the big screen.

The Battle of Mimban: Extended

Most fans know the primary members of Beckett's gang, like Val and Rio Durant, but there were more. This extra bit on Mimban showcases Korso, who (based on text in the novelization) was essentially the muscle of the operation. In this scene, he dies during the Battle of Mimban, and his fellow team members pause for a moment to say goodbye to their fallen comrade. Korso is featured slightly in the film proper, but he's only onscreen for a few fleeting seconds and his name is never said.

The reasoning behind that is because there was so much ground to cover on Mimban, it didn't make much sense to properly introduce a character that was going to die shortly after. Watching the clip, a case can be made that's for the best, since the audience has precious little time to get attached to Korso before a swelling, emotional musical cue signals his death. At least before Val and Rio died, there was the campfire scene, which built up their personalities a bit. In the case of Korso, his farewell would have rang hollow if it stayed in.

Page 2: More of Han & Chewie, and Dryden Vos

Han Versus Chewie: Extended

Fans have known Han and Chewie as inseparable friends for more than 40 years, but they got off on the wrong foot. At one point, Han was going to be nothing more than a snack for "The Beast," a mistreated Wookiee held in captivity on Mimban. Of course, the two ended up joining forces and escaped together, forging a lifelong partnership in the process. It was a moment so important to Solo, original directors Phil Lord & Chris Miller spent three weeks filming it in an attempt to get it just right.

There was a lot more to the sequence in the finished film, as evidenced by this deleted scene. Extra bits include include Han throwing more insults at Chewbacca as part of their breakout plan (do not speak poorly of Chewie's mother) and the Wookiee initially giving up on the idea before being goaded back into it by Han. It's fun to watch the two go at it for a little longer, but there's nothing here that needed to be kept in. Especially since audiences know Han and Chewie are best friends, it's simply prolonging the inevitable to keep them in this situation. Padding the scene doesn't do anybody any favors.

Snowball Fight!

In a moment that screams Lord & Miller, this scene is precisely what the title implies. After the failed Conveyex heist, Beckett, Han, and Chewie walk through Vandor to get to Dryden Vos' elaborate lair. Along the way, Han and Chewie decide to have a little snowball fight and roll around on the ground. Beckett, who's still mourning the loss of his close companions at this point, chastise the two, unimpressed by what he's seeing. Solo and the Wookiee fall back into line, but not before one last snowball is thrown.

It's a fun little bit and shows the growth of Han and Chewie's friendship. Instead of battling to the death in the mud, they're frolicking in the snow. However, this scene is the very definition of filler and doesn't serve a real purpose in the larger story. It almost feels like Alden Ehrenreich and Joonas Suotamo were killing time in between takes and the cameras happened to be rolling. If the snowball fight survived the final edit, it wouldn't have been the worst thing in the world, but even those who like this scene would be hard-pressed to make a case for its inclusion.

Meet Dryden: Extended

Solo's main plot is thrown into gear when Beckett, Han, and Chewie meet with Qi'ra and her boss, Dryden Vos, in the latter's lair. Illustrating Dryden's opulence, the extravagant place is filled with all kinds of riches and memorabilia, which Han seems to enjoy very much. The young Solo is also way out of his element here, having been used to scrounging on the streets of Corellia for any scraps he could get. This is more than apparent as Han attempts to eat the luxurious cuisine brought before him by Dryden. Even Qi'ra can't watch as Solo fumbles about with the food.

Again, it's easy to see why this was cut. The comedic bits of Han snacking clash with the overall tone of this scene. Audiences are supposed to feel intimidated by Dryden here and fear for our "heroes'" lives. In some respects, Dryden's conversation with Beckett is a secondary component of the deleted scene, which focuses more on Han's misadventures with food. A veteran like Howard knows a moment like this doesn't call for much humor. Dryden should command the room, and he does in the final film.

Coaxium Double Cross

Solo's third act revolves around a web of classic betrayals that eventually ends with Dryden and Beckett dead, Qi'ra in charge of a division of the Crimson Dawn syndicate, and Han on his own with nobody but Chewbacca by his side. The driving force behind all this is the coaxium, which played a rather significant role in the film. Upon learning the atrocities Crimson Dawn will commit with the valuable resource, Han comes up with a plan to pull a fast one on Dryden and give the coaxium to Enfys Nest.

In this deleted scene, viewers see the genesis of the idea, with Han examining some coaxium with a goofy grin on his face. He asks one of the refinery workers if they have more cases, which will be used for Han's ruse. Shortly after Solo's query, Dryden's ship arrives on Savareen (note the unfinished effects). This means in terms of the chronology, this was supposed to be set between Enfys Nest's reveal and Dryden coming to the planet. It doesn't add much to the movie, which is likely why it was cut.

A majority of these scenes are either alternate takes or additional bits of sequences that made the finished film. None of them include integral story or character beats that would have substantially improved the final product. While it's always smart to shoot more than what you need, Howard demonstrated a keen eye by what he left on the cutting room floor. As fun as it is to watch these clips, they should be nothing more than special features on a Blu-ray.