Han Solo ‘Star Wars’ Spinoff: Actor Shortlist Revealed!

The idea of the “Star Wars” spinoff films was probably one of the best Disney could have had. Not only could they continue the Skywalker saga in the main episode films, but by creating the unrelated stories, they’ve effectively ensured the expansion of the “Star Wars” universe, and the longevity of an already evergreen franchise. All that aside, for its first couple spinoffs, Disney has opted to keep the stories relatively close to the main saga. The first film, “Rogue One,” follows a band of rebels in their attempts to steal the plans for the original Death Star, and the second film is none other than a Han Solo spinoff.

With Harrison Ford as the original actor, whoever this new man is will have quite the shoes to fill. So who will be playing everyone’s favorite scoundrel? We don’t know just yet, but Variety has just revealed a shortlist for the character.

According to the outlet, the following actors are at the top of Disney and Lucasfilm’s list to portray Solo in the upcoming film:

Miles Teller (“Fantastic Four,” “Whiplash”)

Ansel Elgort (“The Fault in Our Stars,” “The Divergent Series”)

Dave Franco (“Neighbors,” “21 Jump Street”)

Jack Reynor (“Transformers: Age of Extinction”)

Scott Eastwood (“Gran Torino,” “The Longest Ride”)

Logan Lerman (“Percy Jackson,” “Fury”)

Emory Cohen (“Brooklyn,” “The Gambler”)

Blake Jenner (“Glee”)

An interesting batch of actors, to say the least. Noticeably absent from this list, however, is the fan-favorite Anthony Ingruber, who stole many fans’ hearts with his YouTube impressions of Han Solo. The actor went on to play a young Harrison Ford in last year’s “Age of Adeline,” but it looks like Ingruber was either unable to audition, or didn’t quite make the cut. For what it’s worth, I think it’s for the best. After all, you can’t lead a film on an impression alone.

One thing I do notice about all these actors is that none of them look in the slightest like the young Harrison Ford we know and love. While this may seem like a terrible thing at face value, I couldn’t be happier with this face. Let’s face it. Whoever takes on this role is fighting a losing battle. No matter what he brings to the table, he’ll forever be compared to Ford’s performance, and if the actor had looked remotely like Ford, the differences would be all the more jarring. Better for these actors to bring their own take and interpretation of the character — not unlike what each actor has brings to the Bond franchise with each iteration.

As far as who stands out to me on this list, I have to say that Dave Franco seems like a strange choice. I don’t dislike the actor by any means, but his voice is so recognizable to me, it would only distract from the picture. The top contenders for me are either Logan Lerman or Emory Cohen. The former actor, while he usually tends to play typical “nice guys,” was able to stand out in David Ayer’s tank movie “Fury.” He perfectly commits to each role he plays, and no matter whatever other film I’ve seen him in, he doesn’t seem to distract. 

Cohen also seems like a potentially great choice, as his performance in “Brooklyn” was definitely one worth checking out. It’s a different role, to be sure, but if the man could still bring the same intensity and deft to a Solo film, it could be a real winner.

The report went on to speculate that the reason Disney is narrowing down on their Solo so soon is so that the character may have a cameo in the upcoming “Rogue One” spinoff.

What do you think of the list? Anyone stand out to you? Do you think having Solo cameo in “Rogue One” is a good idea? Let us know in the comments down below!

SOURCE: Variety

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