Alden Ehrenreich Might Play Young Han Solo ... Maybe
Alden Ehrenreich (Photo: Rich Fury/Invision/AP)
The search for the right actor to play young Han Solo in the upcoming Solo-focused Star Wars movie has been going on for months. In January, a short list was revealed with a dozen contenders on it, including emergent leading men like Miles Teller, Ansel Elgort, the ubiquitous Scott Eastwood, and Blake Jenner. But now, according to Deadline, the pack may have a front-runner.
Related: Meet ‘Hail, Caesar!’ Star Alden Ehrenreich, the Dreamy Crooning Cowboy
Citing anonymous sources “with knowledge of the casting process,” Deadline’s Anita Busch reports that Alden Ehrenreich has emerged as the lead candidate to play the role previously owned by Harrison Ford. Ehreinreich, 26, is best known for his breakout turn as clueless cowboy actor Hobie Doyle in the Coen brothers’ Hail, Caesar! Getting cast as a pre-Episode IV Han Solo would, to put it mildly, raise his profile significantly.
Related: Harrison Ford’s Advice for the Next Han Solo: ‘Don’t Do It’
Before anyone starts imagining what Ehrenreich’s action figure will look like, it’s worth noting that reps at Disney and for the actor have not commented on the status of the Han Solo casting effort. Right now, this still qualifies as a rumor.
Ironically, the Deadline story points out that the Han Solo search has been “shrouded in secrecy,” though apparently not enough secrecy to keep short lists and announcements about who may have the edge for the part out of media reports.
Watch Alden Ehrenreich and reported contenders Jack Reynor and Taron Egerton in their most Han Solo-ish moments:
