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Harrison Ford’s First Role After ‘Star Wars’ Was This Forgotten World War II Legacy Sequel Thriller That Deserves Your Attention

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1 week ago

30 November 2025

Harrison Ford’s First Role After ‘Star Wars’ Was This Forgotten World War II Legacy Sequel Thriller That Deserves Your Attention

The concept of a “legacy sequel” is often thought to be a modern one, but Hollywood has always sought ways to capitalize on proven hits. The Guns of Navarone was a massive hit that saw a peak in enthusiasm for the World War II adventure genre, and earned seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. While too much time had passed for original stars Gregory Peck and David Niven to reprise their roles, Force 10 From Navarone was conceived as a loose sequel that could introduce a new cast and took advantage of the source material from author Alistair MacLean. While Force 10 From Navarone didn’t quite reach the critical heights of its predecessor, it did feature an appearance by Harrison Ford in his first role after debuting as Han Solo in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.

The world may still have been recovering from the ramifications of World War II in 1978, but that didn’t mean that Hollywood didn’t see creative potential in stories of heroism and exceptionalism. Given the more knotty, complicated politics of the Cold War that had left Americans divided on how they should feel about their governments, stories set in the 1940s offered an easily approachable sense of good and evil. Force 10 From Navarone was a throwback to the first generation of World War II films that were produced both amidst and right after the war itself, and had no ambiguity about how the audience should feel. While it could have been a thankless cash grab, Force 10 From Navarone is elevated by its terrific ensemble.

‘Force 10 From Navarone’ Is a Classic World War II Adventure

Major Keith Mallory and Staff Sergeant John Miller had originally been portrayed by Peck and Niven, respectively, but the sequel saw the parts taken over by Robert Shaw and Edward Fox. Force 10 From Navarone briefly acknowledges that it is set shortly after the events of The Guns of Navarone, and that Mallory and Miller are assigned a new mission to track down the elusive German spy Captain Lescovar (Franco Nero), who betrayed critical information to the Axis Powers. Ford plays Lieutenant Colonel Mike Barnsby, an American military veteran who leads his own group of commandos to join the unit. Although there are initially some clashes between the American and British perspectives on warfare, the soldiers find their common ground when it comes time to eliminate any Nazi in their path.

One of Harrison Ford’s First Entertainment Jobs Was Working on a Documentary for the Doors

A wildly iconic collab.

While the original The Guns of Navarone was praised for being a more realistic depiction of what combat was actually like, Force 10 From Navarone embraced the style of a contemporary action film, and it’s no surprise why; the film was directed by Guy Hamilton, a veteran of the James Bond franchise who had helmed such classics as Goldfinger and Live and Let Die. Hamilton clearly was at his best when imagining creative set pieces that made use of visual effects and larger-than-life theatrics, and Force 10 From Navarone is densely packed with great set pieces. Although an opening heist scene in which Barnsby helps to steal a Royal Air Force bomber set the film up on a high note, the concluding explosion of an enemy bridge wrapped up the story on an equally rousing note. While the film was still quite respectful of the sacrifices that real veterans faced in the war against fascism, it also presented its soldier characters as the type of cool adventure characters that would have popped up in a television serial back in the ‘40s.

‘Force 10 From Navarone’ Has an Amazing ‘70s Cast

An ensemble action film like Force 10 From Navarone is reliant on its cast, and thankfully, the film featured stars who knew their way around the genre. Although he tragically died only shortly before the film was released, Shaw gave a gripping, tough-as-nails performance that took advantage of the hot streak he was on after playing Quint in Jaws. Ford is a scene-stealer playing a whipsmart, risk-taking commando who managed to overshadow the heroes, and his involvement was clearly critical in the film’s success; given how deeply inspired the original Star Wars trilogy was by World War II aerial photography, it made sense that young viewers would want to see Ford in a similar role. Although historical accuracy wasn’t necessarily a priority for Force 10 From Navarone, the film did a nice job at acknowledging the contributions of women and minorities within the war; Barbara Bach has a scene-stealing role as a spy who relays critical information to Miller, and Carl Weathers gives a great performance as the squad’s only African-American member.

Force 10 From Navarone wasn’t a box office success upon its initial release, as audiences were beginning to move on from war cinema, given the rising popularity of science fiction with Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Superman: The Movie, and Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Although it may have been strange to see such an old-fashioned film released the same year as a grittier war epic like The Deer Hunter, Force 10 From Navarone was unabashed pulp entertainment that embraced its fast pacing and straightforward execution. Comparing it to The Guns of Navarone may not do it any favors, but Force 10 From Navarone is so distinct as a work of populist entertainment that it can be viewed as a standalone adventure film, even for those who have never seen the original. Even if it’s not even close to being the role that he is best known for, Ford gets to say cool lines and brutalize Nazis in Force 10 From Navarone, which is reason enough to watch it.

Force 10 From Navarone is available to stream on Tubi in the U.S.