Star Wars: Alden Ehrenreich talks about playing Han Solo again
By Corey Smith
Solo: A Star Wars Story underperformed at the box office, but Alden Ehrenreich was good in the lead role. Could he ever come back?
Landing the role of a young Han Solo might sound like a dream gig for most, but after a disastrous production that saw its original directors fired, and then disappointing returns at the box office, Solo: A Star Wars Story’s Alden Ehrenreich ultimately took a break from Hollywood to regroup.
Speaking to Esquire regarding his return project, Peacock’s adaption of Brave New World, Ehrenreich explained why he went away. “It was basically a three-year experience from pre-production to the release of the movie,” he said. “And I just wanted to be a person, connect with people in my life, spend time and develop as a person outside of those worlds. And then you never know.”
While opinions differ on why exactly Solo underperformed — “Star Wars fatigue,” the troubled production, something else — it’s far from clear whether Disney is going to be knocking on Ehrenreich’s door again, even though many critics (including me) praised his performance. And if the studio does come calling, Ehrenreich isn’t sure if he’d answer. “It depends on what it is. It depends on how it’s done. It depends if it feels innate to the story.”
That doesn’t sound hopeful. In fact, it kind of sounds like Ehrenreich has left the Star Wars galaxy, far, far behind. He admits that he hasn’t seen either The Rise of Skywalker or The Mandalorian. Still, he’s leaving the door open just a crack. “I don’t know anything about [a potential sequel to Solo],” he said. “I mean, you know, I think our movie was kind of the last of the conventional-era Star Wars movie release time. I’ve heard soooome stuff, but nothing concrete.”
Personally, I thought Solo was lightyears more entertaining than Rise, so I’d be all for Ehrenreich coming back, hopefully along with Emilia Clarke’s Qi’ra.
In the meantime, you can see Ehrenreich as John the Savage in Brave New World, which you can watch on Peacock right now!
It’s not Star Wars, but it looks like fun!
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