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4 STAR WARS Characters Woody Harrelson Could Play in the Han Solo Movie

4 STAR WARS Characters Woody Harrelson Could Play in the Han Solo Movie

Woody Harrelson is no stranger to the role of mentor. As Haymitch Abernathy in The Hunger Games, he helped Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen through the deadly event to the best of his ability. Was Haymitch the most amazing teacher ever? No. Not even close. But Katniss survived. And now, Harrelson is reportedly being eyed to play a young Han Solo‘s mentor in the upcoming, untitled Star Wars standalone film about everyone’s favorite scruffy nerfherder.

Variety reported Harrelson is the top choice for the role, but there aren’t any details beyond the fact that the character is part of Han Solo’s (Alden Ehrenreich) youth. While I’m guessing Harrelson will end up being an entirely new character, they could pull inspiration and/or elements from existing characters found in the pages of the old Expanded Universe (now known as Legends). Faces and names from the Legends era have found their way into canon (see Grand Admiral Thrawn), so it’s not without precedent. With that in mind, Harrelson could play one of these characters from Legends stories:

Alexsandr Badure

Introduced in 1980’s Han Solo and the Lost Legacy by Brian Daley, Alexsandr Badure saved Han and Chewie’s lives back in the day. But even earlier than that, Badure taught Solo his flying skills at the Academy of Carida when they were both serving the Empire. Badure wasn’t exactly a spring chicken, which means Harrelson would be ideal for the part. If any of the Legends characters make it back into canon, our money’s on this guy.

Garris Shrike

Han’s EU history also featured a pirate as his surrogate father. Garris Shrike—who first appeared in 1997’s The Paradise Snare by A.C. Crispin—reared a young Han after he rescued the orphan from the streets of Corellia. (And by rescued, I mean kidnapped to use for his own gain.) Shrike was a bounty hunter and never particularly kind to Solo, but they could morph the character slightly to give Han a past that he takes career inspiration from. You know, kind of like what Yondu is to Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy.

Thrackan Sal-Solo

Though Han was orphaned, he tracked down some relatives on Corellia, including his cousin Thrackan Sal-Solo. Thrackan came into the picture in Ambush at Corellia by Roger MacBride Allen, published in 1995. He was only a few years older than Han in the Legends book, and a violent bully to boot. The latter isn’t the best trait for a mentor to have, but maybe they could keep the name and change the traits and age for the film. It’s a possibility, though probably a slim one.

Garm Bel Iblis

While we’re dreaming and making lists, what about Garm Bel Iblis? Timothy Zahn’s Dark Force Rising from 1992 introduced the character, a senator from Corellia in the last years of the Galactic Republic. Bel Iblis gave a speech at a school Solo was attending, and Solo asked the senator questions—and the questions were intelligent enough that they made an impression. Bel Iblis tracked Solo’s progress over the years and remembered him when they ran into each other years later. Han mentored by a politician? I know it seems like a wild idea, but hey, crazier things have happened in Star Wars.

Regardless of who Harrelson plays, I give everyone involved enough credit to think the character will be different than Haymitch.

If the Harrelson news is legit, who do you think he’ll be playing? Someone new or someone familiar? Share your picks in the comments.

Image: Lionsgate, Del Rey, Bantam Spectra

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