Solo: A Star Wars Story star Alden Ehrenreich says he would return to play Han Solo under certain conditions. In May 2018, Solo released in theaters after a turbulent production that saw original directors Phil Lord & Chris Miller fired towards the end of principal photography. While the spinoff earned mostly positive reviews from critics, it struggled mightily commercially. Solo is the first Star Wars box office bomb, grossing only $392.9 million worldwide against a budget in excess of $250 million.
That lackluster performance essentially squashed any hopes of Solo kickstarting a trilogy. However, in the time since the film's debut, it's seen its fan base grow considerably. The viral hashtag #MakeSolo2Happen illustrates Solo has support amongst viewers, and there would be interest in seeing some sort of continuation (even though nothing is in development at this time). It sounds like Ehrenreich would be up for returning - so long as he likes where the story is going.
In an interview with Esquire, Ehrenreich touched on his potential Star Wars future, revealing he'd be game to play Han Solo again so long as his conditions were met:
“It depends on what it is. It depends on how it's done. It depends if it feels innate to the story.”
All things considered, this is a fairly straightforward response, but it's nice to see Ehrenreich isn't completely shutting the door on a Star Wars return. His stance differs from Oscar Isaac, who currently has no interest in playing Poe Dameron again. It's also encouraging the story would play some role in Ehrenreich's decision. Obviously, the payday that comes with a Star Wars job is nice, but everyone involved would still want the project to make a meaningful contribution to the larger franchise. That was one of the issues with Solo; it was seen in some circles as a by-the-numbers origin story for Han, so any kind of followup would have to dig deeper. Narrative threads like Han's first job for Jabba the Hutt and Qi'ra working for Maul could be compelling.
If Solo 2 were to ever happen, odds are it'd be as a Disney+ series instead of a feature film. There's little financial incentive to making another Solo movie, but the passionate online campaign shows a TV show could find an audience. Still, even there it's unlikely. Lucasfilm's Disney+ slate is full with several projects, none of which involve Han. They're working on a Rogue One prequel, an Obi-Wan miniseries, and a Star Wars show set in a new era. Right now, it looks like Ehrenreich's stint as Han will be a one-and-done affair, but hopefully he gets a chance to fly the Millennium Falcon again.
Source: Esquire