On Saturday morning, director Ron Howard tweeted out a picture that featured himself and two actors dressed in Imperial garb. The picture, which is most likely from the Han Solo standalone film he is directing, came with the hashtag “#tagandbink ?” and as one would expect, it stirred up quite a reaction. The two actors starring as the less-than-dynamic duo are actually Han Solo screenwriter Jon Kasdan, son of famed screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, and Toby Hefferman.
#tagandbink ? pic.twitter.com/1EzUbS3MQs
— Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward) October 14, 2017
Tag and Bink have a very interesting history in what is considered the Star Wars Extended Universe, which as most fans know and many loathe, is no longer canon according to Disney. The two starred in a number of comic series written by Kevin Rubio, which were hilarious re-tellings of the first two sets of trilogies from the points of view of Tag and Bink. These two were rebels that always seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Numerous events occur in the comics that are shown as having been influenced by Tag and Bink as they more or less observe from the background. The two are generally compared to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, as minor players that end up influencing the Star Wars stories through their meddling and antics.
While the appearance in the Han Solo film will more than likely be nothing more than a cameo, the fact that the screenwriter himself is writing them in gives some hope for a bit of depth to the characters and impact. Additionally, as Disney basically wiped the old Extended Universe stories and characters from current and official canon, it gives hope that older characters from the books and comics may make appearances. Star Wars Rebels has already introduced massive Extended Universe villain Thrawn and made him official in the new canon. Tag and Bink being teased for the new Han Solo film also gives hope that we may see other favorites like Kyle Katarn or Mara Jade one day.
Source: Ron Howard’s Twitter Account