Solo 2: How two MAJOR Star Wars villains are set up for the inevitable sequel

WARNING SPOILERS FOR SOLO AHEAD

Solo: A Star Wars Story is released today and fans are in for a treat, especially in terms of seeing events played out that Han only referred to in the original trilogy.

But the film wasn’t without it shocks and gasps, most noticeably in terms of the return of a major Star Wars villain and another who was clearly hinted at.

It seems these two will no doubt play a big role in Solo 2 and Solo 3, which – assuming the first film does well at the box office – are inevitable since Ehrenreich is signed on for at least a trilogy.

Scroll down to find out just who these two baddies are – obvious spoilers ahead.

So first off a big reveal was the true identity of Dryden Vos’ boss – the one really in charge of Crimson Dawn.

After Qi’ra kills him, she reports the news of his death to his superior via hologram, only to be revealed as Darth Maul himself.

It’s clear the two will be working closely together in the future, teeing up a sequel to Solo.

Meanwhile the second villain didn’t appear and wasn’t named, but was clearly alluded to.

HOW IS DARTH MAUL ALIVE?

Earlier in the film Tobias Beckett mentioned to Han Solo that he could find more smuggling work on Tatooine.

And just before the film ended, as Han and Chewy set off in the Millennium Falcon, the smuggler told his Wookie companion that they’d head there.

Who else could this be referring to but Jabba the Hutt, who we know Han has bumped into a number of times, thanks to Episode IV: A New Hope.

It seems likely therefore that Solo 2 will open with the pair arriving at Jabba’s Palace in the Dune Sea of Tatooine.

Interestingly both Darth Maul and Jabba have a history, thanks to the Clone Wars TV series.

Just a few years before Solo takes place Maul had formed a criminal alliance called the Shadow Collective and wanted to overtake the planet Mandalore.

Maul negotiated an alliance with the Hutt Clan and Jabba himself, but they were dismissive of the renegade Sith Lord’s threats against them and escaped.

Nevertheless Maul found out from Oruba Hutt that Jabba could be found at his palace on Tattooine, so Maul invaded Jabba’s HQ and demanded he join the Shadow Collective or face his wrath.

With no choice Jabba agreed to assist with the takeover of Mandalore, however Darth Sidious – still Chancellor Palpatine at the time – saw Maul as a threat and the Shadow Collective was fractured and defeated.

From this point in the timeline Maul isn’t heard of again until Star Wars Rebels, when he is eventually killed by Obi-Wan Kenobi a couple of years before A New Hope.

But with both Maul and Jabba teased in Solo, it’s looks likely the pair will clash again in a sequel – perhaps seeing Han battle the Sith Lord as the main villain in an epic third outing of the trilogy. There’s certainly lots to explore thanks to a big gap in their timelines.

Solo: A Star Wars Story is out now.