…and it’s a bit odd.
Variety has broken the news that a shortlist of potential young Han Solos for the upcoming Star Wars standalone has been made. The names they included were: Miles Teller, Ansel Elgort, Dave Franco, Jack Reynor, Scott Eastwood, Logan Lerman, Emory Cohen, and Blake Jenner.
The reason why it’s odd is because many of these actors look nothing like Han Solo (specifically Miles Teller, Logan Lerman, and Emory Cohen). But this list might not even be the real deal, as Anthony Breznikan of Entertainment Weekly implied. The writer tweeted,
Lawrence Kasdan, who is co-writing the script for the Star Wars Story featuring the young smuggler along with Phillip Lord and Christopher Miller, says young Han will be about ten years or so younger in the standalone than he is in A New Hope. Han is about thirty in A New Hope, which would make him around twenty in the spinoff. That means whoever plays him has to be able to pull off that age.
Still from The Longest Ride by Twentieth Century Fox
At 29, you would think Scott Eastwood would be too old to play a young Han. I think Eastwood could pass for a 20 or 21-year-old, however. His face looks young enough, especially when his facial hair is shaved off (like in the still above from The Longest Ride, which was made only last year). More importantly, though, I think he can pull off Han’s roguishly handsome look.
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In fact, Eastwood is the only actor from this list I would feel comfortable playing Han, just based on face value. I’ve never seen any of Eastwood’s films, so I don’t know of his acting ability; but in a case like this, it’s not just acting that’s important. If young Han was going to be a little younger, say fourteen or fifteen, it might not matter so much; appearances can change a lot in fifteen years. But being that the two Hans, the new one and the original, will only be ten years apart within the Star Wars universe, it seems crucial the two look at least mostly the same.
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Whether or not this list is correct, it’s coming down to the wire; Variety is reporting Lord, Miller, and Kathleen Kennedy will be testing actors for the role starting in the next couple weeks, with a decision soon to follow. Rumor has it, they’re gearing up for a young Han Solo cameo in Rogue One, the first Star Wars standalone, premiering December 16th, 2016. We’ll just have to trust their judgement on this one.