“Millennium Falcon Has Sailed”: Star Wars Alum Won’t Return To Disney Franchise After $392M Flop

One of the cast members of Solo: A Star Wars Story has revealed whether she would ever return to the space opera franchise after the Han Solo-centered spinoff flopped at the box office.

While speaking with Variety, Emilia Clarke, who played Qi'ra in Solo, joked that when it comes to her possibly reprising the role in the future, "That Millennium Falcon has sailed," insinuating that it's very unlikely she'll be back for another Star Wars project.

The actress added, though, that she's had several fans over the years tell her that "they would like to see her again, so we shall see," leaving the door open if Disney and Lucasfilm were ever to come to her with an offer.

"I think that Millennium Falcon has sailed, but you let me know. There's a lot of fans who have told me personally that they would like to see her again, so we shall see, yes."

Back in 2023, Clarke expressed a similar sentiment when asked if she wanted to return to the Star Wars franchise.

The year prior, Solo co-writer Jonathan Kasdan said he wasn't sure if characters from Solo would ever resurface, though he did say that short-form projects (similar to Marvel's Werewolf By Night) on Disney+ could be a great way for Lucasfilm to reincorporate these characters.

Solo was only the second Star Wars movie to be released outside of the Skywalker Saga, following Rogue One. After Disney bought Lucasfilm, the Mickey Mouse company expanded the franchise, first by debuting the sequel trilogy that consists of The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.

In between these films, the spinoffs Rogue One and Solo were released. While Rogue One grossed over $1 billion at the box office and earned a Certified Fresh score of 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, Solo didn't get the same response.

Solo, which centers on a younger Han Solo (played by Alden Ehrenreich) as he gets wrapped up in action-packed and intense adventures before the events of the Skywalker Saga, was plagued by behind-the-scenes drama.

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were initially hired as the directors but were eventually fired and replaced by Ron Howard, who underwent extensive reshoots to get the film back on track. As a result, the budget ballooned to a reported $275 million.

When Solo was released in theaters in May 2018, it grossed $392 million at the box office and failed to turn a profit, the first Star Wars film to do so. Critics gave the movie mixed reviews and a 69% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Aside from Clarke and Alden Ehrenreich, the spinoff also starred Donald Glover, Woody Harrelson, Thandiwe Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Paul Bettany and Joonas Suotamo.

At this point in her career, Clarke had already had her breakout role in the entertainment industry as Daenerys Targaryen in the hit HBO series Game of Thrones, which premiered in 2018 and ended one year after Solo was released in theaters. Throughout the fantasy show's eight-season run, she received nominations at the Emmys, SAG Awards and Critics' Choice Awards.

After moving on from Game of Thrones and Solo, Clarke starred in movies like Last Christmas and The Pod Generation, and returned to the small screen in the Marvel series Secret Invasion and the Peacock spy thriller Ponies.

She's been a part of several high-profile franchises over the years, from Game of Thrones and Star Wars to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As far as the George Lucas-created franchise is concerned, though, Clarke made it clear yet again that she doesn't see a return to Star Wars happening.

After a theatrical hiatus following Solo: A Star Wars Story and the Skywalker Saga conclusion, Disney has brought Star Wars back to the big screen with the recently released The Mandalorian and Grogu, which had an opening weekend box office haul of $98 million during the Memorial Day weekend (lower than Solo's $103 million during the same weekend in 2018).

Release Date May 25, 2018

Runtime 135 Minutes

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  Alden Ehrenreich

  Han Solo

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