Lawrence Kasdan Talks About Casting a Young Han Solo For The Standalone Film

Lawrence Kasdan knows a thing or two about Star Wars. His first screenplay credit is for The Empire Strikes Back, and he's also written Return of the Jedi, the acclaimed video game Shadows of the Empire, and he co-wrote The Force Awakens with director J.J. Abrams. Kasdan's next project is a Han Solo standalone prequel movie he's co-writing with his son Jon that will be directed by 21 Jump Street and The LEGO Movie helmers Phil Lord and Chris Miller.

We know that Harrison Ford doesn't have anything to do with the Solo solo film (ha!), and Lucasfilm has apparently auditioned 2,500 people for the role in the 2018 movie. Casting is going to be incredibly important to this film because Ford's incarnation of Solo is such a beloved performance, so how does one even go about trying to figure out who can play a younger version of him? Vulture recently spoke with Kasdan and asked him that question, and he said "It's a very tough challenge." He continued:

"You want someone who isn’t going to be exactly like Harrison, you want someone who suggests him," he said. "It’s like when you adapt a book, and I’ve adapted a couple: You don’t want to adapt it word for word, you want the essence to come through. With Harrison, though, it’s not easy to find someone with those kinds of qualities. He’s like Spencer Tracy, and what does a young Spencer Tracy look like?"

One person we suspect might be good for the job is Anthony Ingruber, the guy who played a younger version of Ford's character in Age of Adaline. You can see his impression of Han Solo right here, and he absolutely nails Ford's facial expressions. But maybe Ingruber is too much of a direct copy, and Kasdan and co. are looking for someone who has a bit more of that "essence," as he says. Who do you think should play a young Solo?