I see this as both good and bad.
Good:
- More original cast members in the film more connection to the better trilogy that will bring back fans disappointed by I-III
- The new film cannot be immediately after Episode VI, else how would it be explained than Han is 30-40 years older than he was before
- Going off the second point, the new film will (mostly likely, fingers crossed) not continue the adventures of Luke, Han, Leia, Lando, and Chewbacca (we'll see what happens with the droids) due to their age (and I don't think Abrams would sign onto a project that was basically Red in the Star Wars universe)
Bad:
- The time gap between VI and VII implied by Ford's involvement could mean that the story focus on the Skywalker and Solo children rising to confront a new threat. I know a lot of people enjoy the Expanded Universe novels, but I don't think this would be a good idea. We need some new blood than simply the continuing struggles of these two families. A new generation of Star Wars fans should get their own heroes not simply the children of the last generation of fans heroes.
To that effect I hope Han's only involvement is as an information provider to the Jedi and New Republic through his smuggling contacts. That would still be a significant role given he'd be a critical piece of how the new heroes respond to the new enemy but his involvement should not be of a direct nature. In that manner neither should Luke as he has bigger issues with leading the new Jedi and being the bridge to the New Republic.
Going off topic a bit, but to those that would prefer to see the Skywalker and Solo children, I think you could still do that somewhat. I would change the Expanded Universe enough that Luke and Mara still had Ben but that Han and Leia only had Jaina and Anakin, no Jacen. The three children would be in their early to mid-30's and be instructors in the Jedi order and some of Luke's most trusted members.
That way the new protagonist(s) would be in the late teens to early 20's range (just as Luke and Leia were) as they begin the journey and trials that will define the new trilogy. Personally I think they should have twin protagonists styled afer the personalities and relationship of Jaina and Jacen (which is why I don't include Jacen in the new film so the younger twins aren't exact copies) on the verge of taking their trials to become Jedi Knights. This would give us the new heroes a new generation of viewers should have to build new fans from while still giving older fans the familiar names associated with the first trilogy and later novels so that at some point in the new trilogy we see Ben, Jaina, and Anakin in action much the same way we saw Yoda, Windu, and other members of the Jedi Council in action in II and III.
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