With the recent news that Lawrence Kasdan and J.J. Abrams will be taking over screenwriting duties on Star Wars: Episode VII, it is believed that the pair will start the writing process over from page one. If that’s the case, then George Lucas’ original outline and Michael Arndt’s screenplay might be thrown out for something fresh. There are new reports that suggest Harrison Ford’s Han Solo might have an extended role in the sequel trilogy that goes beyond just a cameo appearance in Star Wars: Episode VII.

According to Jedi News, Disney and Lucasfilm are looking to sign Harrison Ford for a multi-picture deal that extends past Episode VII into the other films in the sequel trilogy. Apparently, Ford agreed to Han Solo’s new story arc through the new saga with a caveat that he would reprise another character in the Lucasfilm universe, Indiana Jones.

It’s no secret that Ford holds Indy in higher esteem than the space smuggler Han Solo. In fact, Ford is itching to don the fedora again in Indiana Jones 5. If a deal can be reached between Ford and Disney/Lucasfilm, we could expect to see a new Indiana Jones movie by the end of 2016. According to Jedi News:

Harrison Ford and Comic-Con are not the old friends that some might suspect. In fact, when he appeared yesterday in San Diego, ostensibly to answer questions about Ender’s Game — which predictably turned into a bunch of Star Wars and Indiana Jones questions — it was only his second appearance. (First was Cowboys and Aliens. ’nuff said.) During the talk, Ford said that Han Solo wouldn’t have been a good fit for Colonel Graff’s army, and shared what brought him to the role in the first place.

One Brazilian man shared his dreams of becoming Indiana Jones since he was a kid, then asked Ford what he thought about Solo joining Graff. “You know, you and I have a lot in common,” Ford
joked. “I used to dream about being Indiana Jones when I was younger. Not so much anymore. I don’t think Han Solo would be good as a soldier in anybody’s army. I think he’s what we call now an independent contractor.” I think the world of Star Wars and Léon: The Professional should come together, where Solo somehow saves Natalie Portman’s Padmé Amidala from her dysfunctional family. Might have a few time travel issues, but otherwise, it’s gold!

While Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was, for the most part, a phenomenally bad movie, it did include one important and lasting cinematic milestone. It introduced the phrase “nuke the fridge” into the vernacular. After years of over-usage, the old standby for noting the moment when a show or movie steps over the line into the preposterous – “jumping the shark” – was starting to sound a little creaky. It had earned a much-needed rest, and thankfully “nuking the fridge” stepped in ready, willing, and able.

The phrase refers to the moment in Crystal Skull when Indy takes shelter from an impending nuclear test explosion by hiding inside a lead-lined refrigerator stashed inside one of the bomb range’s dummy houses. The fridge is then blasted through the air to a safe distance, allowing Indy to roll out bruised and battered but otherwise unhurt. While some people – those with even a basic knowledge of physics, small children, people raised by wolves – might dismiss the fridge scene as in every way ridiculous, George Lucas reassured the press earlier this year that the scenario was indeed feasible, and that Indy would have a “50-50” chance of surviving.