The clues seem to point to an old enemy of Han Solo.
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| Image Credit: Disney+ |
The debut of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew has captured the attention of fans with a rather intriguing start that leaves two big questions open. The first concerns the fate of the home planet of the young protagonists and the reason why it is surrounded by legends, while the second focuses on the true identity of the mysterious character played by Jude Law. Throughout the series, this Force user introduces himself as Jod Na Nawood, but the character's past is shrouded in mystery. In fact, it seems that he has operated under several aliases and, perhaps, a name that the most passionate Star Wars fans might remember: Crimson Jack, the first space pirate in the history of the saga's expanded universe.
The Origins of Crimson Jack and His Presence in Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
The character of Crimson Jack has roots in an era in which the expansion of the Star Wars universe in comics was still undefined. After the adaptation of the first cinematic adventure, the authors had a wide creative margin. The solution found was to introduce space pirates, an idea inspired by the experiences of Roy Thomas, then editor-in-chief of Marvel, who wrote the adventures of Conan the Barbarian in the 70s. Crimson Jack made his debut in issue 7 of the comic book series Star Wars (January 1978), in which the pirate and his crew attack Han Solo and Chewbacca, intent on reaching Tatooine to pay off their debt to Jabba. Jack thus became the first original antagonist created for the Star Wars expanded universe, appearing in some stories before falling into oblivion for decades.
The character was only recently brought back to the forefront in 2022 with the Halcyon Legacy miniseries. This comic, created to serve as a narrative companion to the Galactic Starcruiser experience at Disney Parks, features Crimson Jack attempting to steal loot from a First Order ship. However, this adventure takes place decades after the events of Skeleton Crew, which is set during the same period as The Mandalorian. If Jude Law were indeed playing Crimson Jack, it would put to rest a major fan theory that his character is Hal Horn, aka Valin Halcyon, a Jedi who survived Order 66 and is dedicated to saving other Force users during the Empire.
Jude Law’s Vision
Lucasfilm, as usual, is keeping the character’s identity a bit murky, suggesting that he may be someone known by numerous aliases. Jude Law himself explained in an interview how he worked on the role: “I liked the idea of being a different person to different people. He’s a survivor in a desperate world, extremely intelligent and playful. When I play a role, I always create a back story: who is he? Where does he come from? I shared these ideas with Jon and Chris [the creators of the series], and they approved them. It was exciting. The character is full of potential.”
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