Here's a twist some Star Wars fans never saw coming: Han Solo's real name is not actually Han Solo.
Or at least that's what Disney CEO Bob Iger made us believe while describing the upcoming Star Wars Story spinoff based entirely around the young smuggler.
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Alden Ehrenreich takes over the iconic role from Harrison Ford for a galactic adventure that takes place from age 18 to 24 in Han's life, and reveals his never-before-told origin.
"We're actually shooting now an origin story of Han Solo, which will come out in 2018," Iger told students at a special USC lecture.
"That picks up with Han Solo when he was 18 years old and takes him through when he was 24. There are a few significant things that happen in Han Solo's life, like acquiring a certain vehicle and meeting a certain Wookiee that will happen in this film. But you will also discover how he got his name."
And here we always assumed Han Solo was his real name?! Let's pray it's not Han Skywalker because we've already been down that secret sibling road. Or maybe Iger is speaking metaphorically - as in how Han made his name in the smuggling trade?
What is clear is that Iger's coy reference to "a certain vehicle" was actually a nod to Han's ship the Millennium Falcon. Do we even need to tell you that the "certain Wookiee" is Chewbacca?
Thanks to a recent Woody Harrelson interview, we also know that we'll be meeting Han's long-lost mentor Beckett. Maybe he's the guy who taught Han to make the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs?
Another favourite from the classic Star Wars trilogy will be represented too, as Donald Glover fills in for Billy Dee Williams as that smooth-talking schemer Lando Calrissian.
The Lego Movie directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller bring us the still-untitled Han Solo film on May 25, 2018 in the UK and the US.
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Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
