After Star Wars: The Force Awakens obliterated pretty much every box office record standing in its way, with its worldwide total currently a gigantic $1.7 billion, you can understand Disney’s desire to mine the Star Wars universe for every dollar it’s worth.
Following Gareth Edwards’ Rogue One: A Star Wars Story hitting screens on December 16, 2016 and Rian Johnson’s Episode VIII arriving on May 26th, 2017, Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s young Han Solo spinoff will land on May 25th, 2018.
According to Variety, after seeing thousands of hopefuls, Disney execs have drummed up a shortlist of actors they want to step into the shoes of Harrison Ford’s iconic role. Here are the names that stand out most on the list and my thoughts on them:
Miles Teller (Whiplash, Fantastic Four) – Teller would be my personal choice as based on his excellent performance in drumming drama Whiplash, he’s the best actor out of the bunch and I can kinda see him as Han Solo.
Emory Cohen (Brooklyn, The Place Behind The Pines ) Cohen wouldn’t be a bad choice either as, albeit in supporting roles, he’s shown he has talent.
Ansel Elgort (The Fault In Our Stars) Elgort looks the most like a young Harrison Ford and may not be a bad choice
Logan Lerman (Fury, The Perks of Being A Wallflower) – as talented as Lerman is, he doesn’t particularly scream Han Solo but could be a worthy wildcard.
Dave Franco (21 Jump Street, Bad Neighbors) – Franco is the most interesting name as he’s best known for comedic roles. He definitely has the cockiness for Han Solo but who knows if he has the ability to carry a solo movie.
Shooting for the Han Solo movie will not begin until January 2017, but sources claim that Disney are looking to cast the role early in order for Solo to have a cameo in Rogue One before appearing in his own standalone film.
As Han Solo is arguably the most beloved character out of any in the Star Wars galaxy, the pressure is on Disney to find the right man for the job. Replacing Harrison Ford, who was the pure embodiment of Han Solo, will be an extremely tough task for any actor and Disney need to find somebody who is totally up to scratch. Judging by their casting choices for The Force Awakens, i.e. Daisy Ridley and John Boyega, one has to have some faith that they’ll make the best decision.
Han Solo is my second favourite Star Wars character after Luke Skywalker and I’m excited to see what Lord and Miller, the guys who brought us the surprisingly spectacular The Lego Movie, will do with the character.
Who do YOU think should play a young Han Solo? Feel free to leave you’re comment’s below 🙂
The Watcher Blog 