Hail, Caesar! breakout star Alden Ehrenreich reportedly has been anointed as the new Han Solo, according to Deadline, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.
Disney would not confirm the news to USA TODAY but if the stories are true, the 26-year-old Los Angeles native will play the Star Wars fan-favorite character as a young man in the standalone movie about the Millenium Falcon pilot, rebel hero and unscrupulous smuggler, due in May 2018.
Production on the Han Solo project is expected to begin in the new year, with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller directing a script written by franchise veteran Lawrence Kasdan and his son Jon.
The January start date would open up the possibility of getting Ehrenreich's Han Solo a cameo in the upcoming Rogue One prequel, which arrives in theaters in December.
In addition to Hail Caesar, Ehrenreich's résumé includes 2013's Beautiful Creatures and Blue Jasmine.
