The Force has been strong this week, as rumors and even the occasional fact have been flying around the Internet with Disney CEO Bob Iger’s revelation that there will be spin-off origin films – and then the follow-up by Entertainment Weekly that two of them will focus on Star Wars favorites Han Solo and Boba Fett.
These films will be made, of course, alongside Episodes VII, VIII and IX – all set years after the events of “Return of the Jedi” – with the first aiming to hit theaters in 2015.
According to EW, The Han Solo origin film is planned to take place between “Episode III Revenge Of The Sith” and “Episode IV A New Hope,” and would presumably set the stage for “Episode VII” in a manner similar to the way that “Thor,” “Captain America: The First Avenger” and the “Iron Man” films set the stage for Disney’s super-successful “Avengers” film.
“Although it’s possible Harrison Ford could appear as a framing device,” the magazine notes, “the movie would require a new actor for the lead — one presumably much younger than even the 35-year-old Ford when he appeared in the 1977 original.”
As fans have begun shifting gears into hyper-drive, they’ve begun putting forth ideas on who could successfully step out of Harrison Ford’s shadow and bring a new face to one of the most iconic characters in film history. According to fan polls, names like Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Garrett Hedlund and Taylor Kitsch have begun gaining some traction.
Personally, I think Disney needs to find a fresh-faced actor who embodies the realness and character-depth which Harrison Ford masterfully brought to Han Solo. Seriously, go back and watch the old films – the character did not have a huge number of lines, and Ford wielded tremendous charisma with every glance, grin and glib one-liner.
No matter how you feel about George Lucas’ ill-received prequels, when Ewan McGregor played a young Obi-Wan Kenobi, he did something interesting with his portrayal. While injecting new dimensions to the Jedi master as a young man, you could still sense the presence of the late Sir Alec Guinness (although it can be assumed that Ewan at least knew the first name of his director). Whoever ends up wielding Han Solo’s signature black vest and blaster would be wise to look to McGregor for inspiration.
If I were casting the part, my number-one choice for the role would be Ian Somerhalder. If you want a glimpse at what he’d bring to the table, look at Ian’s cocky attitude as vampire Damon in the “The Vampire Diaries,” as well as the character’s cool, smuggler-like stature that is very similar to Ford’s work in the original “Star Wars” classics. Ian also worked under JJ Abrams on “Lost,” and now that Abrams has been handed the reigns of Episode VII, it would seem like they could have a valuable shorthand.
Ultimately, who knows which actor (or someone we’ve never heard of, a la Brandon Routh and Hayden Christensen) will be the next Han Solo. As wise Master Yoda would say: “Difficult to see, the future is.”