Star Wars: 5 shows we want to see next on Disney+
By Monita Mohan
Solo: A Star Wars Story / Image by Lucas Film
5. Val from Solo: A Star Wars Story
Oh, Val, we hardly knew ye. Who among us wasn’t excited to see Thandie Newton bag a lead role in a Star Wars film? The leading ladies of a galaxy far, far away, all look the same – white, petite and brunette – so Newton was a refreshing change from the norm when she appeared in promos for Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Unfortunately, despite being a huge part of the film’s promotional circuit, Val didn’t make it past the first act of the film. Her death was especially insulting as she sacrificed herself under contrived circumstances and then Han Solo’s actions meant she died in vain.
Worse still, her death was caused by an attack by Enfys Nest, who is revealed to be a young resistance fighter. An actor with screen presence like Newton’s deserved better and fans of the Star Wars franchise were rightly upset that a female character of color was killed off.
Val’s history is virtually a blank slate, allowing showrunners to explore the galaxy through the eyes of a character of color with ease. She’s a soldier, a thief and a good person, so how did such a competent woman like Val end up with Woody Harrelson’s sniveling Tobias Beckett?
What crimes did she commit that made her beholden to crime lord Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany)? We don’t even need the other characters to appear – Val can have a fulfilling life all on her own before she meets Beckett or Vos. Without a doubt, Thandie Newton would be up for appearing in a Disney+ mini-series celebrating this amazing character.