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A new 'Solo' clip reveals how Han and Chewie became the galaxy's best co-pilots

It’s been a long journey to the big screen for Solo: A Star Wars Story, one that’s been weighed down by lots of behind-the-scenes baggage as well as underwhelming sneak peeks. As the film’s May 25 release date approaches, though, we’re starting to get a good feeling about this Han Solo-centric prequel, overseen by Ron Howard. Earlier this week, Disney released a guided tour of the Millennium Falcon conducted by Donald Glover, whose charismatic presence as the young Lando Calrissian is already positioning him as the film’s breakout star. And now for Star Wars Day, they’ve dropped a short, but sweet new clip from the film that’s guaranteed to get fans’ engines revving. Why? Because it depicts the exact moment that Han Solo (played by Alden Ehrenreich) and Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) went from being uneasy comrades to lifelong co-pilots. (Watch the clip above.)

This momentous event appears to happen almost accidentally in Solo. Picking up in the middle of the action, the clip finds Han and his childhood accomplice Qi’Ra (Emilia Clarke) piloting the Millennium Falcon through stormy weather while dodging incoming TIE Fighter fire. “We need to divert auxiliary power to the rear deflector shields,” Solo says, urgently. That’s when the Wookiee leans over and starts flipping switches with authority, much to the amazement of the Corellian co-pilots. “Since when do you know how to fly?” Han asks, and Chewie responds by pointing out that he has 190 years of experience — a joke that provided one of the biggest laughs in the most recent Solo trailer.

Realizing there’s an expert in their midst, Qi’Ra gives up her seat to help Lando in another part of the ship. As Chewie plops his furry behind down in the chair next to Han, Howard cues up a few bars of John Williams’s immortal Star Wars theme, pushing the audience’s nostalgia buttons as effectively as Chewie pushes those Falcon buttons. United at last, the duo blast off for what will almost certainly be a high-spirited, high-speed set-piece. To quote The Simpsons: Howard, you’ve done it again!

Solo: A Star Wars Story soars into theaters on May 25.


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