The Star Wars franchise is going back in time to explore an earlier version Han Solo when Alden Ehrenreich inherits the role from Harrison Ford in Solo: A Star Wars Story this weekend. That said, we already know that Han's life has been full of adventure, and it raises the question of whether or not future films could take Han to other eras of his life by aging up Ehrenreich. However, as the actor explained to CinemaBlend in a recent interview, he's wary of using that technology to play an older Han. Alden Ehrenreich told us:
I don't know. I have to see that technology more. I'm in the camp of it weirds me out. I don't know, you just see it, and there's something. It's like the uncanny valley. I mean they're so great at it now, it's kind of amazing, but I'm still in the camp of, I'm thinking about 'Oh they did that.'
So, it seems that you shouldn't hold your breath waiting to see Alden Ehrenreich looking ten or even twenty years older. Though the technology to bring him closer to Harrison Ford's visage definitely exists, he generally seems wary of its use because audiences can tell when filmmakers employ it.
Despite Alden Ehrenreich's hesitation to immediately get on board with this particular technology, it's clear that he does have a deep appreciation for what the folks at Disney can do with computer-generated effects these days. As we saw with the de-aged Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi, as well as the digitally-recreated Princess Leia and Grand Moff Tarkin in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the use of these techniques has slowly seeped into the Star Wars franchise as a whole. However, he merely needs to take a closer look at the technology and see it move beyond something that people directly point out and marvel at in a movie.
Want a closer look at our chat with Alden Ehrenreich? Check out a clip from our Solo: A Star Wars Story interview, below!
Of course, there's always the possibility of just letting time run its course, anyway. Alden Ehrenreich definitely shares some notable physical similarities with a young Harrison Ford, so if he sticks around in the role long enough, then the technology might not even be necessary. We just have to let time do its magic, and the 28-year-old actor could eventually match the look and feel of Ford -- who was roughly 34 years old when A New Hope debuted.
Although we still don't know if we will ever see Alden Ehrenreich play Han Solo in the later years of the beloved smuggler's life, we will get to see his origin story this weekend when Solo: A Star Wars Story premieres on May 25. If you are on the lookout for more in-depth analysis of the film, then check out our full review of the movie, as well as our review roundup to see what other critics have to say about it!
