Rian Johnson on why Han Solo’s funeral wasn’t in Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

One of the many questions which STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS left dangling was just what the reaction would be to the death of Han Solo (Harrison Ford), but once STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI kicked off, it quickly became clear that there wasn't going to be much time to mourn the fallen hero. Collider got the chance to sit down with Rian Johnson recently and THE LAST JEDI writer/director explained why a funeral for Han Solo was never considered. Is there anything that Johnson hasn't had to explain about this film?

[There was no debate of showing Han Solo’s funeral], just because pacing-wise it didn’t have a place. It’s tough in Star Wars because I always think about the mourning that Luke gives to Ben’s death, which is all of four-and-a-half seconds before, ‘Come on kid we’re not out of this yet’ and then boom, you’re into ‘Yay, woo-hoo! Don’t get cocky!’ There’s the moment for it, but it’s not long. We don’t have time for our sorrows, commanders. That’s kind of the thing of Star Wars; you don’t really linger on grief because you’re moving forward.

While it's true that the first STAR WARS movie didn't spend much time dwelling on the death of Obi-Wan, I'd argue that Han Solo is a little different, as the character was featured in four movies over the decades. Although it's a little disappointing that more time wasn't spent dealing with the loss of Han Solo, I can understand Rian Johnson's reasoning, but the upcoming novelization of STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI will feature Han's funeral, in addition to "Rose and Paige Tico together, and further explorations of the fascinating world of Canto Bight." So, there's that?

Should STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI have included Han Solo's funeral or was Rian Johnson correct not to linger on the grief?