Timothy Olyphant
Olyphant has gained popularity recently due to his starring role as Raylan Givens in FX's Justified. I have never seen Justified so I cannot speak about how that would relate to him playing Solo. Olyphant has portrayed Agent 47 in the film adaptation of the Hitman game as well as several characters known for their inability to stand for nonsense (The Girl Next Door, Live Free or Die Hard, and I Am Number Four to name a few). These roles prove that Olyphant can at least bring the attitude of Solo to life but whether he can hold up against Ford is another question. Also, the biggest thing standing in Olyphant's way (as you will notice for many of these choices) is his age. I don't think he could be a believable pre Episode IV Han Solo.
Josh Holloway
Best known for his role as Sawyer on Lost, Holloway has not seen much work in his career. If we look solely at his stint on Lost then I can see how he could be justified as a good Solo. Sawyer's background revealed that he was a con artist before the crash which fits nicely within the smuggler lifestyle of Han Solo. My concern here is his age.
Josh Brolin
I love Josh Brolin. He makes everything he is in better. My concern here is that he, again, is too old. Brolin played a young Tommy Lee Jones in Men In Black 3 last year but he still had the same presence as his older counterpart.
Nathan Fillion
Fillion is probably, by far, the people's favorite choice for this role. Fillion's role as Malcolm Reynolds in Firefly is practically a Han Solo clone (not to belittle Joss Whedon's character). Fillion is 41 which is six years older than Ford when he starred in the original Star Wars. Again, I fear he may be too old.
Christian Bale
No. I am tired of people throwing Bale's name out there for every role. He is like this generation's Johnny Depp. Any character that could potentially be brooding or unhinged at any point always get's Bale attached to it. He would not be right for Han Solo. I am not sure Christian Bale laughs unless it is in his script and Han Solo definitely has his hysterical moments. Plus, imagine the on set blow ups we would be subject too when a giant Wookie hits a lighting rig accidentally.
Chris Pine
While Pine is the first of these options that is the right age there is no reason we should entertain him for the role. This is a sad fact because he would be perfect. You know why? Because of his portrayal of James T. Kirk in JJ Abrams' Star Trek. He is a perfect example of the renegade that Han Solo is but he is already committed to the Star Trek universe. There is NO WAY he could transcend that geek boundary without some serious repercussions. It's really too bad.
Ryan Gosling
Gosling is not right for this role. At all. Han Solo is a fast talking, thrill seeking, selfish smuggler. Ryan Gosling has made a career out of being every woman's fantasy. His popular "Hey Girl" meme plays to this character trait beautifully. I feel that seeing Gosling try and fit into Solo's shoes would be uncomfortable and awkward.
Mark Ruffalo
Mark Ruffalo was introduced to a large audience last Summer when he played Bruce Banner/The Hulk in The Avengers. Before then he had been in romantic comedies and small dramas (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). I think Ruffalo could handle the role with ease but again, age plays a large factor.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Gordon-Levitt is constructing a pretty remarkable career. The former child star has developed into an incredibly talented leading man. Last year's Looper showed that he could be comfortable as a gunslinging sci-fi star. I think he may be the best choice out of this list to step into the coveted role of Han Solo.
Kyle Chandler
I hate that Chandler is just now starting to get recognition. He has been great in everything he has done especially Early Edition and Friday Night Lights. He has shown that he is capable of holding the screen with his recent role in Zero Dark Thirty. At 47 years old, he is a dozen years older than Ford when he first sat in the pilot's seat of the Millenium Falcon however he has aged very well. Much like Robert Redford, Chandler looks much younger than he is. I feel he could pull off the role with ease.
Karl Urban
See Chris Pine.
Joel Edgerton
The Aussie that first caught my attention in 2011 's Warrior could be a great fit for the Solo role. He could play younger than his 38 years but probably not as easy as other choices. He hasn't really done many roles where he totes a gun and demands attention but it could be fun to watch him try (not an attitude you want to have with a huge franchise like Star Wars). Also, he was in Episodes two and three as Uncle Owen (I didn't know that until I read this article).
Dave Franco
James Franco's younger brother Dave is beginning to break into Hollywood as a real player. He has gone from bit roles to leading in a matter of a few years. Last year's 21 Jump Street was one of the funniest films of the year and Franco was great in it. My concern here is that this doesn't seem to be his type of role but he also hasn't proven that it isn't his type either.
Jason Clarke
Honestly (and no offense to Clarke) I am not sure why he made this list. He is a relatively unknown Australian actor that made waves this/last year with his role in Zero Dark Thirty. Plus, he is too old.
Taylor Kitsch
Last in this list of hopefuls is Taylor Kitsch. Kitsch was beloved as Tim Riggins in Friday Night Lights. His recent foray into the Sci-Fi realm with John Carter was not a success but he was great in Oliver Stone's Savages so I feel he could work. He is the right age and could definitely pull off the look as well. I think he might be my number two selection on this list.
So there you have it. A breakdown of the top candidates as put forth by FirstShowing.net. Who do you think should be considered? What is your feedback on their selections?
No comments:
Post a Comment