Any villainous hero in the “Star Wars” franchise will always be compared to Han Solo. Harrison Ford’s iconic character is known for his wit, ruthless nature and willingness to break the rules while being a good guy at heart. These qualities also apply to Jo Na Nawood, aka Crimson Jack (Jude Law), the lovable misfit in Amblin-inspired ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’ series on Disney+. Despite the obvious similarities to Solo, series co-creator Jon Watts narrated Tech radar that Nawood was actually inspired by the actor who plays him:
“It’s funny, when we wrote it (‘Skeleton Crew’) we always said, ‘Nod is a Jude Law-like character.’ It feels like he (Law) has already been in ‘Star Wars’ for a long time, so we just reached out to him and put him on our show. He brings all these layers of mystery and complexity (to Jod). And it really feels like his character has been through a lot when he meets the kids (Wim, Fern, KB and Neel).”
“Skeleton Crew” was made for childrenand the series brings a fresh perspective to a franchise that has often been criticized for relying on fan service and nostalgia following Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm. It’s a bit ironic then that Law agreed to play Nawood for his own nostalgic reasons, and he may have channeled the character that some people are comparing his villain to.
Jude Law was inspired by Han Solo for Skeleton Crew
“Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” sees Jod Na Nawood team up with a group of young heroes after they get lost in space. An unreliable guy who has experienced the trials and tribulations of the galaxy far, far away, he provides a certain weariness to contrast the bright-eyed optimism of the youth. However, you get the impression that he will do the right thing when push comes to shove, which is a classic Han Solo trait.
In an interview with StarWars.comJude Law revealed that he drew inspiration from Solo, Darth Vader (James Earl Jones) and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) when preparing for the role. All of these characters made an impression on him during his formative years, and he picked up elements of their respective personalities and applied them to Crimson Jacks. In his own words:
“I always wanted to be Han. Well, it depended on the game. I probably wanted to be (Darth) Vader sometimes too. There was a sort of shrug to Han Solo that I always loved, a slight cynicism. There was an obvious purity to ( Luke) Skywalker I really wanted to try to combine all those things.”
if anything, “Star: Wars: Skeleton Crew” proves that sci-fi franchises thrive when they take big turns while retaining some familiar characteristics. Characters like Nawood return to the thickset heroes the property built its name on, but he’s in a story that’s different from other shows and movies. As such, there is something for old and new fans to enjoy.
New episodes of “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” premiere on Tuesdays at 6pm PST on Disney+.
