Solo: A Star Wars Story turned out to be a narrative dead end. After a chaotic production, the film was released in 2018 to a disinterested public and ended up as a shock box office disappointment. Disney and Lucasfilm promptly ditched their plans for a new Star Wars movie each year and refocused on Disney Plus shows, while the dangling plot threads from the movie were all but abandoned.
Well, abandoned in live-action in any case. Emilia Clarke’s Qi’ra ended the movie moving up in the Crimson Dawn and has since reappeared as its leader in canon Star Wars comics. Now she’s taking center stage in Hidden Empire, a Marvel comics crossover event that’ll wrap up plotlines from Darth Vader, Bounty Hunters, and Doctor Aphra.
The official Star Wars site posted a preview of the issue, showing that Qi’ra has become so powerful since Solo that she’s prepared to step up to none other than Emperor Palpatine. And, even more surprisingly, he recognizes her as a genuine threat. Check it out:
We’d love to see Emilia Clarke return to Star Wars in live-action. Prior to The Book of Boba Fett fans theorized that Clarke may return there, as it would have made sense for Fett’s new role as Mos Espa’s Daimyo to intersect with the Crimson Dawn’s activities.
Sadly, that didn’t happen, though if Fett did return for a second season we think it’s an obvious plotline to pick up on. Before that, Clarke will be making her MCU debut in Secret Invasion in early 2023, so at least she has another gigantic franchise to work on.
Hidden Empire #1 hits shelves on November 16.