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Who will be the next Han Solo?

Updated Dec 19th, 2018 9:09PM EST
Han Solo Star Wars Spin-off
Image: YouTube

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Harrison Ford’s Han Solo is arguably one of the most iconic characters of the Star Wars universe, even though the Force is not strong with him. He’s also not the lead character in any of the four Star Wars movies it appears in – including the upcoming The Force Awakens and the original Star Wars trilogy.

But Disney is ready to give Han Solo prime placement in a Star Wars spinoff that’s yet to receive a final title, and it will be released in May 2018 following Star Wars Episode VIII, which premieres a year before that. One of the biggest challenges for the studio is finding the right actor to play Han Solo.

Unfortunately for fans, Ford is simply too old to play a young version of Han Solo, so Disney is looking at young and rising stars for taking on what could prove to be the role of a lifetime. How tough a task will it be? More than 2,500 actors have auditioned for the role so far.

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“It’s a hunt that would make Jabba the Hutt proud,” The Hollywood Reporter says about the search of the perfect young Han Solo. Disney isn’t ready to confirm too many details about the project, running it covertly under a “Red Cup” code name, but “every agency” is sending clients between the ages of 18 and 32 to read for the part, and some well-known actors have already auditioned.

“This has been the easiest movie to audition for,” one agent told the site. “They are seeing everyone.”

The casting team is looking for someone who looks a bit like Ford when he originally played the role – he was 35 at the time — and “can be funny and charming as well as handle the expected action scenes.”

Here are some of the known actors who are looking to get the part, as revealed by the Reporter, along with the movies you may know them from:

Aaron Taylor-Johnson, 25 (Kick Ass)

Ansel Elgort, 21 (The Fault in Our Stars)

Chandler Riggs, 16 (The Walking Dead)

Colton Haynes, 27 (Teen Wolf)

Dave Franco, 30 (Now You See Me)

Ed Westwick, 28 (Gossip Girl)

Hunter Parrish, 28 (Weeds)

Jack Reynor, 23 (Transformers: Age of Extinction)

Joshua Sasse, 27 (Galavant)

Landon Liboiron, 23 (Hemlock Grove)

Leo Howard, 18 (Kickin’ It)

Logan Lerman, 23 (Fury)

Max Thieriot, 27 (Bates Motel)

Miles Teller, 28 (Whiplash)

Nick Robinson, 20 (Jurassic World)

Rami Malek, 34 (Mr. Robot)

Tom Felton, 28 (Harry Potter)

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.