Why Taron Egerton Turned Down Solo: A Star Wars Story

In another galaxy far, far away, Taron Egerton would have starred as a young Han Solo.

The “Black Bird” actor revealed during the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast (via The Independent) that he auditioned for and ultimately turned down leading the “Star Wars” 2018 prequel film, “Solo: A Star Wars Story.”

“I’ll be honest, I got on the Falcon,” Egerton explained, referencing the Millennium Falcon. “I was with Chewie. I was in the full costume. I felt like I got there, I did it, I lived it.”

But something still felt off about playing the younger version of the beloved hero that Harrison Ford made famous.

“It just felt to me like I didn’t feel…like you know when we mentioned earlier, that thing when I read the ‘Kingsman’ script and I was like, ‘This is…I’ve got to do this. This is my part,’” Egerton admitted. “I just didn’t feel it.”

Egerton added, “It’s far enough in the past now that I feel I can say that. I hope no one feels annoyed that I have said it.”

“Beautiful Creatures” and “Hail, Caesar!” actor Alden Ehrenreich was eventually cast in the role of Han Solo. The film was rife with reshoots after co-directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller unexpectedly left the film due to creative differences.

Ron Howard replaced the directing duo Lord and Miller after an “excruciating” production process, according to screenwriter Jonathan Kasdan. The original directors allegedly tried to lead with improvisation and more experimental filmmaking techniques to honor Han Solo’s “maverick” persona. “Solo” made less than any other live-action “Star Wars” movie at the box office upon release, raking in $392 million globally against a $275 million budget.

Producer Kathleen Kennedy reflected on the box office bomb of “Solo,” telling Vanity Fair earlier this year that “there should be moments along the way when you learn things.” She continued, “Now it does seem so abundantly clear that we can’t do that.”

“Solo” in part led to the break in “Star Wars” films and shift to the Disney+ TV series expansion of the IP. “Thor: Love and Thunder” writer-director Waititi is set to helm an upcoming “Star Wars” installment that shifts entirely away from legacy characters like Solo, Princess Leia, and Luke Skywalker.

“Look, I think for the ‘Star Wars’ universe to expand, it has to expand,” Waititi told Total Film about his yet-to-be-titled movie. “I don’t think that I’m any use in the ‘Star Wars’ universe making a film where everyone’s like, ‘Oh great, well that’s the blueprints to the Millennium Falcon, ah that’s Chewbacca’s grandmother.’”

Waititi, who was tapped for a “Star Wars” installment with a December 2025 release date, added, “That all stands alone, that’s great, though I would like to take something new and create some new characters and just expand the world, otherwise it feels like it’s a very small story.”

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