Star Wars has gone from a successful sci-fi series to one of the biggest franchises in film history, and there's always room for growth. As Skeleton Crew concludes its first season, many fans wonder where things could go next, and who will be along for the ride.
If you're anything like this writer, and the subject of space pirates is brought up in the galaxy far, far, away, there's only one name you want to see at the helm. The best part? Disney already has him on their payroll.
How Hondo Ohnaka could join the crew
After four younglings discover a derelict spaceship buried beneath the surface of their home planet, they find themselves wrapped in an interstellar adventure involving lost planets, deadly secrets, and dangerous pirates. So what happens next?
SPOILER ALERT: Spoilers for Skeleton Crew beyond this point!
As Silvo falls and Republic swoops in to save the planet of At Attin, Season 1 of Skeleton Crew comes to a close. However, where one adventure ends, another is surely bound to begin.
As seen at Starport Borgo, the galaxy is loaded with spacefaring buccaneers who have their blasters ready for a chance to score some cold, hard, credits. Since the most famous scoundrel in the galaxy is currently out of commission, this writer believes Hondo Ohnaka could take the place of the great Han Solo.
For those not in the know, Hondo Ohnaka is a notorious Weequay pirate captain who first made his debut in the Clone Wars series. Behind that scaly exterior, however, lives the voice of a Disney Legend who would be right at home in the galaxy far, far away.
Jim Cummings is a voice actor with a list of roles over a mile long, and many of them are some of Disney's most iconic characters. Although he's primarily known for his tenure as Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, he's been the hand behind Hondo since day one.
In this writer's opinion, Hondo Ohnaka should be the new focus of the next season, primarily due to his ties with the Disney brand. Not only does he have a legendary Disney alum portraying him, but he also has ties to the theme parks as well, having hosted Smuggler's Run since its opening.
The only issue in getting Ohnaka to the series would be the live-action transition. As demonstrated with the notorious Cad Bane (another Clone Wars icon) in The Book of Boba Fett, Disney is clearly capable of adapting their animated characters to a live-action world.
Whether Cummings appears on screen under makeup as Hondo, or in a recording booth like voice actor Corey Burton did for Cad Bane, he's certainly more than qualified to lead the next installment. The ball is in Disney's court.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew can be enjoyed in its entirety on Disney+.