You could never tell us the odds of both iterations of Han Solo rolling into the Marvel Cinematic Universe at around the same time, but that’s exactly what’s happened, given the incoming debuts of both Harrison Ford and Alden Ehrenreich into the biggest cinematic universe in history.
Ford, of course, is largely known for, among a myriad of other things in his illustrious career, portraying the wisecracking smuggler in the Star Wars franchise, first appearing in 1977’s A New Hope and remaining a key figure throughout the original trilogy. He later reprised the role in 2015’s The Force Awakens, where he was tragically killed by his son Ben Solo (aka Kylo Ren).
Ehrenreich, meanwhile, portrayed a younger version of Han Solo in 2018’s Solo, which served as an origin story for the character.
The two actors are set to make their MCU debuts over the course of Phase Five, with Ford replacing the late William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross for such projects as Captain America: New World Order and Thunderbolts, and Ehrenreich confirmed for a yet-undisclosed role in the Riri Williams solo series Ironheart.
When asked during an interview with ET Online if the two Solos could ever cross paths in the MCU, Ehrenreich gladly welcomed the prospect, despite only learning at that moment that Ford had joined the franchise.
Did he join the MCU? I didn’t know that… Yeah, we could cross paths.
It’s nothing short of impressive that Ehrenreich missed what was perhaps the biggest casting news in the MCU’s history, but perhaps that was just a red herring to distract from the hints he gave recently about his Ironheart character. If they do end up crossing paths, however, we’ll be egregiously disappointed if they decide not to indulge in at least one Star Wars reference.
Captain America: New World Order will release to theaters on May 3, 2024, while Thunderbolts is set to make a splash on July 26, 2024. Ironheart, meanwhile, was originally slated for a Disney Plus debut in late 2023, but the jury is effectively still out as far as a release goes.