Unless you've been living under a rock, there's a good chance you'll know that Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens is now playing in cinemas, and if the box office numbers are any indication many have already seen it. However, if you have yet to see the highly anticipated blockbuster, this is your warning to TURN AWAY NOW, as this article contains massive spoilers for The Force Awakens.
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If you're still with us, you'll know that Han Solo is killed by his son Kylo Ren in The Force Awakens. It's a gut-wrenching scene that's phenomenally executed and acted by both Harrison Ford and Adam Driver, and the ramifications will surely be felt in future Star Wars instalments. At a screening and Q&A of the film at the Writers Guild of America recently, director J.J. Abrams spoke about why the scene had to happen.
"Star Wars had the greatest villain in cinema history. So, how you bring a new villain into that world is a very tricky thing", Abrams said. "We knew we needed to do something fucking bold. The only reason why Kylo Ren has any hope of being a worthy successor is because we lose one of the most beloved characters. “It’s this massive tradeoff. How can we possibly do that!? But… if we hadn’t done that, the movie wouldn’t have any guts at all. It felt very dangerous".
Abrams' comments make a lot of sense, and Solo's death also serves the added purpose of making Ren a much more complex character. It will be very interesting to see where Ren ranks in the Star Wars villain hierarchy by the time the new trilogy is complete, but he's off to a great start.
Directed by JJ Abrams and starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Andy Serkis, Oscar Isaac and Gwendoline Christie, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is out in cinemas now.
Images: Disney
