Star Wars: Skeleton Crew creators reveal who inspired the creation of Jude Law's Jod, and it's not Han Solo: 'it feels like he's already been in Star Wars'

Jod Na Nawood leads Skeleton Crew's kids down a starship's ramp in Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
Jude Law plays the mysterious Jod Na Nawood in Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (Image credit: Disney Plus/Lucasfilm)

  • The creators of Skeleton Crew say that Jude Law's Jod Na Nawood wasn't inspired by Han Solo
  • Many Star Wars fans believe that Harrison Ford's roguish rebel was a key influence on Jod's persona and aesthetic
  • However, neither Solo or any infamous pirates served as the inspiration for Jod

The creators of Skeleton Crew have revealed the true inspiration for Jude Law's Jod Na Nawood in the forthcoming Star Wars series.

Speaking exclusively to TechRadar ahead of the show's two-episode premiere, Jon Watts and Christopher Ford discussed the main influence behind Law's enigmatic individual.

In the months leading up to Star Wars: Skeleton Crew's release, fans have theorized that Jod was heavily inspired by Star Wars stalwart Han Solo. Indeed, with Skeleton Crew's official trailer and various TV spots putting Jod's roguish charm and impulsive actions front and center, such a comparison doesn't seem so outlandish.

Jod Na Nawood smiles as he looks at something off-camera in Star Wars: Skeleton Crew

Jod Na Nawood will have viewers second-guessing themselves over his motives (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney Plus)

Watts and Ford, though, say this isn't the case. So, who's the chief inspiration behind Law's mysterious stranger? Considering the Disney Plus show is partly influenced by pirate movies and TV shows, did the pair create the character of Jod by looking at legendary, swashbuckling individuals like Blackbeard, Calico Jack, and Ned Low?

The kids are fresh, new, and naive, and we wanted Jod to immediately feel like he's been around this galaxy

Christopher Ford, Skeleton Crew co-creator

Not exactly. In fact, there's only one person that Watts and Ford had in mind when it came to inventing a new adult character for Lucasfilm's iconic sci-fi universe – and the answer is really, really obvious.

"It's funny, when we were writing it [Skeleton Crew], we would always say 'Nod is a Jude Law-like character,'" Watts explained. "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 in our show.

"He brings all of these layers of mystery and complexity [to Jod]," Watts continued "And it really feels like his character has been through a lot by the time he meets the kids [Wim, Fern, K.B, and Neel]."

The cast of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew gather together for a chat on a spaceship

Jod doesn't always see eye-to-eye with Skeleton Crew's young cast of characters (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney Plus)

"Yeah, we wanted them [the kids] to contrast [Jod]," Ford interjected. "The kids are fresh, new, and naive, and we wanted Jod to immediately feel like he's been around this galaxy. You know, maybe he's met some of the show's other characters before but, more that that, we wanted him to feel like a veteran who's been around the block a few times."

You won't have much longer to see when Jod and the show's young cast of characters cross paths, and how their personalities clash once they do. Indeed, the last of 2024's new Star Wars movies and TV shows will make its Disney Plus debut on December 2 (US) and December 3 (internationally). Be on the lookout for my Skeleton Crew review closer to the time, too. For now, read more of our Star Wars coverage below.

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Senior Entertainment Reporter

As TechRadar's senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You'll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.

An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as this Moon Knight TV spot.

Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across. Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.

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