STAR WARS Star Alden Ehrenreich Pushes Back on SOLO Criticism: “That Was Not Accurate”
Alden Ehrenreich has heard plenty of opinions about his performance as Han Solo in Solo: A Star Wars Story, but he's making it clear that some of the criticism surrounding the film was way off base. Eight years after the movie hit theaters, the actor is looking back at the experience and explaining why he's ready for everyone to move on.
During a recent appearance on Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast, Ehrenreich was asked about the negative coverage that followed the 2018 Star Wars prequel, particularly the criticism aimed at his acting.
Horowitz brought up the harsh comments the actor faced at the time, saying, “I mean, there was shitty stuff around like your acting in it…I can’t imagine hearing that kind of stuff,”
Ehrenreich didn't seem too bothered by it these days, although he made it clear he disagreed with the criticism. “Yeah, that was not accurate…I mean, it’s good. I’m fine. We’re all good now. It’s all fine.”
The actor also pointed out that certain corners of the entertainment media seem determined to keep revisiting the negativity surrounding Solo, even though he's long since put it behind him.
“You know, there’s like a little corner of the media landscape that like wants to just dig at that continuously. And if that’s helpful for them to put stuff on their websites, then that’s fine. But it’s kind of, it’s just, it’s over. We’re good.”
Of course, Ehrenreich would be tired of discussing the backlash. Taking over the role of Han Solo from Harrison Ford was always going to come with enormous expectations, and the movie's disappointing box office only added to the scrutiny.
But you know what? I actually loved that film and I enjoyed Ehrenreich in the role. He was a lot of fun and brought the right personality to the character. For steeping into the shoes of Han Solo, he did a great job! The problem
Released in 2018, Solo: A Star Wars Story received mixed reviews, with many critics praising Ehrenreich's take on the beloved smuggler while others took issue with the story.
The film reportedly cost $365 million to produce and earned $393 million worldwide. Despite bringing in nearly $400 million, it failed to break even, making it one of the biggest financial disappointments in the Star Wars franchise.
Still, Ehrenreich has some pretty awesome memories of making the movie, especially getting to experience a piece of Star Wars history that most fans can only dream about.
Earlier in the podcast conversation, he recalled the first time he stepped aboard the Millennium Falcon.
“I think walking onto the Millennium Falcon, and I think it was during the screen test or something. And that feeling, I mean, it just felt like being a little kid and getting to like walk into the game of make-believe you’d been playing.”
That's a pretty cool experience, and it's easy to imagine how surreal it must have felt to walk onto that legendary ship as the actor who would actually be playing Han Solo.
Regardless of how Solo performed financially, Ehrenreich got to be part of Star Wars history, and that's something no amount of negative coverage can take away.
The actor has continued building his career since leaving the galaxy far, far away. He recently appeared in the 2026 thriller A Talent for Murder, and his upcoming projects include Miami Vice ’85 and The Last Resort.
Personally, I thought Ehrenreich did a solid job playing a younger Han Solo. He had an incredibly difficult role to take on, and while Solo certainly had its problems, his performance wasn't one of them.
It's also interesting that, eight years later, the conversation around the movie continues to follow him.
What do you think? Did Solo: A Star Wars Story deserve the criticism it received, or has the movie gotten a bad rap over the years?