This week word leaked out that Disney has mapped out films in the Star Wars franchise through the end of the decade. While there hasn't been an official conformation from Disney or Lucas film regarding this schedule, it is consistent with the statements from Disney executives stating that we will see at least one Star Wars film per year going forward. Here is the timeline that was released:
2015: Episode VII
2016: Boba Fett
2017: Episode VIII
2018: Han Solo
2019: Episode IX
2020: Red Five
For our purposes today, I'd like to take a look at the three standalone origin films; Boba Fett, Han Solo and Red Five.
First off, those three names pertain to specific characters in the Star Wars universe. Boba Fett and Han Solo are two of the most popular characters in the Star Wars Universe and for those unfamiliar with Red Five, I'll explain later in this post about who that is.
All three films are likely to take place in the 19 year time frame between the ending of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV: A New Hope. That will allow for Disney to use characters even casual Star Wars fans are familiar with at different stages of their lives and bridge the gap between the two franchises.
Let's take a closer look at each film individually and speculate about what may be.
BOBA FETT
STORY:
The early rumors involving this film had Lawrence Kasdan penning a script with someone killing the original Boba Fett, taking his armor and assuming his identity. While we now know that this film will be directed by filmmaker Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) and written by Gary Whitta (Book of Eli), I would bet that there was still some truth to that early Kasdan rumor. Kasdan likely wrote an outline or treatment for Disney to set the wheels in motion on this project.
Boba Fett is a bounty hunter by profession. I'm sure we'll see a story of hunter and prey.
CASTING:
The idea of someone killing Boba Fett and assuming his identity makes perfect sense from a casting stand point. The fact that they wouldn't have to use Daniel Logan (Boba Fett in Episode II) or someone who resembles him in the role would allow Disney to then open the casting up to stars that have an established box office track record. Building this project around a star is just standard risk management.
I wouldn't be surprised if one of two actors that were rumored to be attached to Episode VII were actually in discussion with Disney the whole time to play the role of Fett instead. Those gentlemen are Michael Fassbender and Benedict Cumberbatch.
The saying goes "there's a grain of truth in every lie". While their involvement in Episode VII has been proven untrue, perhaps the rumors weren't completely off base.
HAN SOLO
STORY:
Out of the three origin stories I'd have to say that the Han Solo story has me most nervous. Han Solo is the most established out of the three characters associated with the stand alone films. While we don't know much about his past (he's a smuggler, he won the Falcon from Lando, and he lost one of Jabba's shipments to the Imperials) we know enough about his character to feel certain actions wouldn't be consistent with the original trilogy.
The idea of origin stories in general has a bad connotation to me. I am hopeful that Disney realizes that you don't need to waste two hours telling the history of a character when you can just jump into an adventure with an established character.
Part of the greatness about the original trilogy is that they don't waste an entire film explain the origins of the Empire and Rebellion; you just jump right into the thick of it.
I don't need to know why Han Solo became a smuggler. If they play it right they will start with him already an established smuggler avoiding Imperial cruisers and finishing a job at the onset of the movie.
As for some wishful thinking, after finishing said job he could be contacted about a big job where he's smuggling secretive cargo with a huge payday, no questions asked (right up Han's alley). His curiosity gets the best of him however and he has to check what it is in the containers he shipping. Turns out he's hauling Wookies into slavery, one of which would be Chewbacca. The idea of transporting Wookies into a life of slavery doesn't sit well with Han so he frees the Wookies and has a side kick for life in Chewbacca. While opening the containers Han triggered a sensor that alerted his employers and now he has them hot on his trail.
If you can't tell, I truly want this movie to be excellent.
CASTING:
When Disney first acquired the rights to Star Wars, the most prevalent name I read in rumors was that of Zac Efron. Another name that came up in rumors almost as frequently was that of Ryan Gosling.
Once again, we know that neither one of them is going to be in Episode VII but that doesn't mean that either of them wasn't approached about a role within the Star Wars universe.
Both actors have a history with Disney and have the looks to fill the role of Han Solo. If I had to guess at this point I would say we'll be seeing Efron as Solo in 2018.
RED FIVE:
STORY:
The name Red Five is a bit ambiguous and for good reason at this point. With the project still several years away from completion, Disney likely has a good idea as to what character from the Star Wars universe will be Red Five but that it is still not written in stone.
As for some background and history, Red Five is the call signal of the fifth member of the Red Squadron in the Rebel Alliance. It was the call signal that Luke Skywalker used during the Battle of Yavin where he blew up the first Death Star as a member of the Red Squadron but for this film we'll be looking at someone who held that call signal prior to Luke's joining the Rebellion.
This movie will likely show the Rebellion in its infancy and the formation of the Red Squadron while revolving around the story of the character of Red Five.
The character that I alluded to early most likely to be Red Five would be Wedge Antilles. Wedge flew as Red 2 during the battle of Yavin and Red Leader during the Battle of Endor. He's the one who piloted the X-Wing that helped to blow up the second Death Star alongside Lando Calrissian. He's also the only known pilot to survive both Death Star attacks.
The actor who portrayed Wedge Antilles in Return of the Jedi, Dennis Lawson, recently stated that he was approached to reprise the role of Wedge in Episode VII but declined.
CASTING:
With this film slated for 2020 it's not realistic to know who would play the part of Wedge Antilles at this point but I'm sure Disney will find someone in their early 20s to fit the bill.
I'm hopeful that this movie bridges the gap between Episode III and IV. I'd love to see Jimmy Smits reprise his role of Bail Organa for starters and for us to get a more detailed view of Alderaan.
We could also see younger versions of characters such as Admiral Ackbar, Mon Mothma, and General Crix Madine in supporting roles once again.
With all the excitement surrounding the Star Wars franchise, I decided to go back and reread some of the books I read during my teenage years. My early teenage years were the peak of my Star Wars fandom where I read as many books as I could convince my mom to buy for me. So far in this process of returning to these books, I've gotten through Tales from the Cantina and Heir to the Empire. Both books were life changing at the time and were still a joy to read nearly 20 years later. 
