Solo offers new hope for the gloriously messy Star Wars expanded universe

In 2014, Disney shuttered the Star Wars expanded universe, an often messy patchwork of books, comics, shows and games that built on the first six movies. Three decades of stories were ruled out-of-continuity with the new properties Disney was creating.

Now, Solo: A Star Wars Story, which hits theatres Friday, May 25, tells the origin story of smuggler/scoundrel Han Solo. And it might be bringing some expanded universe story elements back.

Marcus Gilmer, assistant culture editor at Mashable, tells Day 6's Brent Bambury that's exciting.

"I think the expanded universe may play a big role here because [Solo] may bring forward the story of how Han Solo originally met [his partner] Chewbacca," he said.

The Star Wars expanded universe spawned out of the vacuum left by the first three films in the mid-1980s.

Return of the Jedi ended the original trilogy in 1983 and following that, fans had no Star Wars to look forward to, save for a couple books, two made-for-TV Ewok movies and an infamously horrendous holiday special.

"It was dire at times," Gilmer said. "I thought that was the only new Star Wars I would ever get."

Although Gilmer still stands by the Ewok films, he said he was happy when the world got bigger.

In 1987 the pen-and-paper Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game featured a detailed background to the movies. Soon after that, the world grew more in the comic series Dark Empire, published by Dark Horse Comics.

Then came the big bang that started the Star Wars expanded universe in earnest — Heir to the Empire. It was the first book of the bestselling Thrawn trilogy, marketed as the official sequel to the movies.

From there, the expanded universe grew in size, but maybe not in quality.

"It felt like the bigger and bigger it got, the more unwieldy it was," Gilmer says.

"Things that would happen in one book contradicted what happened in another book."

There were unpopular stories too. At one point, a book in the expanded universe killed off Chewbacca, the beloved Wookie, decreeing he died under a falling moon.

"It was such a weird way to say goodbye to one of our favourite characters, so I'm more than happy that is no longer official canon," Gilmer says.

While some fans were upset by Disney expelling the expanded universe from canon, Gilmer says it was a smart decision given the size and contradictions in that huge set of stories.

But now, Disney has shown a willingness to bring back popular characters from the expanded universe into the present canon.

One such character is a favourite of Gilmer's — Grand Admiral Thrawn. The villain of the Thrawn trilogy now exists within the Star Wars Rebels animated TV show.

"I'm really excited to see what else they do with him because, the way he was written by Timothy Zahn, he's such an amazing, deep villain character," Gilmer says.

He adds that it's exciting to imagine the possibility of a character like Thrawn appearing in a major Star Wars film, something that may become more likely as Disney announces more projects outside the main saga.

Who else would Gilmer love to see on the big screen again?

"If anyone deserves another turn in the spotlight it's the Ewoks. I mean they brought down an empire," he says.

"What else can you say about these guys? They're adorable."

To hear the full interview with Marcus Gilmer, download our podcast or click the 'Listen' button at the top of this page.