I know we're all really excited about this project, and we're looking for answers, but we need to bear something in mind: Harrison Ford doesn't want to talk about the Han Solo movie. And you know why? Because he isn't actually Han Solo. He didn't write the character, he didn't direct himself in the role... he just happens to be a guy whose face we've associated with the iconic pilot and smuggler since 1977. And while Ford clearly loves the role, as evidenced by the fact that he's continued to play it as a septuagenarian, he really has no say over who is hired as a replacement, or when, and he's not up on all the spin-off movie details. So maybe we should stop asking the guy which of the potential picks he feels is most similar to him, because A. that has nothing to do with it, and B. Ford isn't even involved in the movie.
And if his interview with Reuters on Dec. 10 is any indication, Ford would love for us to get that through our heads:
I don't think [playing Han Solo is] about being like me; it's about us being like Han Solo. I'm sure whoever is responsible for that film, and I'm not, will think through the issues and problems of doing such a thing — let's make them responsible for those questions you might think to ask me.
Did you catch that, everybody? "Whoever is responsible for that film," so not him. Let's keep that in mind from now on. Especially because, to my mind, Ford is actually doing the next actor in the Star Wars spin-off a huge favor by staying out of his way. Whether it's Ansel Elgort or another of the contenders, there's already an immense amount of pressure on them to fill Ford's shoes, and it's really generous of Ford to make clear that absolutely none of that is coming from Ford himself. It's a very kind gesture from one Han Solo to another, so let's stop undermining it by trying to pry an answer out of Ford that he doesn't even have.
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