Ed Solomon, co-writer of the done particularly well on VOD.
One of the hallmarks of the goofy duo is their love of 80s rock, especially Van Halen. The legendary guitarist is mentioned in the first scene of the franchise, with Excellent Adventure opening on Bill and Ted discussing how they need Eddie Van Halen to truly be a great band. The connection to Van Halen continues, with Ted wearing a Van Halen t-shirt throughout the first movie. Sadly, Van Halen ed away on Tuesday after a long battle with throat cancer, but leaves a legacy behind that extends far beyond his own music, having inspired countless musicians to pick up a guitar, including the fictional Bill and Ted.
Solomon paid tribute to Van Halen with a series of tweets hailing his influence on the franchise. Saying that the guitarist was a "big influence" on him and Matheson while writing the first movie. He also revealed that he attempted to get Van Halen to cameo in Face The Music, alongside several other rock stars, but he was turned down for an unknown reason. Solomon ends by saying he now believes it's because Van Halen was already battling cancer at that point. You can see his tweets below:
It's a sad revelation that one of the key inspirations for the sweet-natured film franchise was unable to appear in the final movie due to his illness. It would have been a wonderful tribute to the titan of Rock 'n Roll to have him appear alongside other legends of music, such as Dave Grohl, in the movie. Sadly, it wasn't to be, but Van Halen's legacy will live on in the movies, which has inspired many fans to go from air guitaring to actually pick up the instrument and learning it.
It would have been interesting to see Bill and Ted react to meeting their guitar god in middle age, and certainly would have made a memorable scene, and tied the final film firmly to the original. However, despite the absence of a Van Halen cameo and his subsequent sad ing, Bill and Ted Face The Music remains a fun and good-hearted sequel and carries the Rock 'n Roll spirit in every frame.
Source: Ed Solomon/Twitter
