Who Should Play The New Han Solo? We’ve Got Some Ideas!
Replacing Harrison Ford in any sense is going to suck. Nailing that comedic/badass/slightly insecure Han Solo as portrayed by Ford is going to be next to impossible. It’s going to sting, it’s going to hurt, as the man has machismo and charisma in spades like none other. Lick your wounds though, because this Lord and Miller Han Solo anthology film is a comin’.
So, if does HAVE to happen, who should play young Han? I don’t want to go over the obvious choices, (like Chris Pratt) but some of the possible dark horse candidates. None of these are probable, but here are a few names that I find intriguing.
Nathan Fillion
Maybe a bit of an obvious choice. I found it interesting that when this news broke, everyone’s immediate reaction was that “young” Han Solo had to be in his 20s, which Nathan Fillion is not. I personally thank Fillion would be an excellent choice. He has basically already portrayed a Han Solo type character on Firefly (R.I.P.). He is right at home in those comedy moments, but you never believe for one second that he is not a bad ass. It’s a trait that a young Harrison Ford had and how we remember our Han. I don’t think the studio is going to go this way (slightly too old, slightly too Castle-y), but the Fillion fan boys will be out in droves chanting his name in your local streets. Be prepared.
Shia LaBeouf
I’ve been riding the Shia bandwagon since Even Stevens. He is such a talent. Do you know why you enjoyed the first Transformers (2007) film? BECAUSE OF THE BEOUF (I stand by my positivity on that first one). He turned an awful script into an enjoyable film (in my opinion). Now just imagine what he could do with a great script and talented filmmakers (RE: Guide to Recognizing your Saints)! He clearly can nail the comedy and dramatic aspects and I also believe he has the action chops. Again, he is unlikely because he’s gone cuckoo for Coco Puffs recently but I honestly would watch the hell out of a Shia LaBeouf as Han Solo movie. Sue me.
Jake Johnson
Fresh off Jurassic World, granted, where he had a small role, Johnson is now bigger than ever. He’s done smaller things like New Girl, Safety Not Guaranteed and had smaller roles such as in Jurassic World, but he hasn’t had that breakout role yet. I think he posses all of the qualities we would need, specifically the comedic timing. I think he has a great look and has the potential to leave that dweeb persona behind and become the ultimate bad ass as Han Solo. Lord and Miller probably don’t want to go for to high profile of an actor (Abrams did the same for Episode VII) so they can mold their own Han, so Johnson would be a nice fit since he does have some notoriety but isn’t a household name yet.
Josh Hutcherson
With Hunger Games finally coming to a close soon, he will be a free agent for a big franchise. He played second banana to Jennifer Lawrence in the role as Peeta, so becoming Han would be a great way to announce his arrival into ultimate superstardom.
Other Names Considered:
Timothy Olyphant, Michael B. Jordan and Jeremy Renner.
These are just a few of the names I find intriguing. It’s going to be fascinating to hear who is in the running.
Who do you think should be cast as the young swashbuckling smuggler in the upcoming film?
