Solo A Star Wars Story: The Directors Explain Why Alden Ehrenreich Was Cast As Han Solo

Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the original directors for Solo A Star Wars Story, were the ones who picked Alden Ehrenreich to play Han Solo. In the new issue of Esquire, they explained why they chose him for the role.

“An impression of Harrison Ford would have felt like an extended Saturday Night Live sketch. We wanted someone who could evoke the spirit of the iconic performance we all remember while bringing something new and fresh. We talked a little bit about how Chris Pine, playing Captain Kirk, didn’t do a Shatner voice, and brought his own spin to the character while still evoking the vibe of the character. We felt Alden did the same with Han Solo.” – Chris Miller

Ron Howard, the director of the movie, in the new issue of Empire also talked about Alden’s casting as Han.

“It was always clear from the beginning, before I was involved, that it was not going to be an impression of Harrison. No-one wanted that. Part of Han Solo’s character is sort of a vibe and a feel and a body language. I think the minute Alden knew he was doing it, he began thinking about that and working with it.”

What you can take from both interviews is that Lucasfilm didn’t want an impression of Harrison Ford so Anthony Ingruber (the Canadian actor who made an impression of Ford on Youtube and that some fans wanted to play Young Han) was probably never on the table for the role. It’s make sense because it’s an entire movie we’re talking about it, you need more than an impression. You need someone who can capture the essence of the character and it’s great that Lucasfilm wanted this. Both Ron and the previous directors seem convinced that Alden Ehrenreich was the man for this job and I think the trailers and TV Spots have proved them right! Alden really captures the spirit of Han Solo and I think that new generations will consider him as much Han just as Harrison was.

We are now less than a month away from Solo A Star Wars Story and it’s going to be an amazing movie!
In cinemas on May 23 in France, May 24 in UK and May 25 in the US.