Star Wars Secrets: Casting of Young Han Solo

In what's becoming the latest story of casting difficulties for a Hollywood film, rumors are swirling about which young actor Disney is going to select to play the young Han Solo in its upcoming Star Wars prequel. A few weeks ago, rumors surfaced of a short list of actors who were in final contention for the role, and this week, more rumors said that one of those actors was a strong favorite to nail down the job.

The short list, which came to light in the middle of March, included Jack Reynor (Transformers: Age of Extinction), Alden Ehrenreich (Hail Caesar) and Taron Egerton (The Kingsman). Those names were culled from a longer list of finalists, and the anonymous sources who furnished the short list admitted that there might be more names in consideration, too.

This week, Dave Franco (22 Jump Street) told MTV News about his own experience auditioning for the role, explaining that the film's producers are in a difficult position as they have to choose between an actor who is similar to Harrison Ford, the actor who originated the role, or one who is unique.

Also this week, new rumors have asserted that Ehrenreich has become the front runner for the role, although no official announcement of the casting appears to be forthcoming.