We may never see the young Han Solo, as played by Alden Ehrenreich, in the Star Wars universe again, but the actor is returning to its overlord, the Walt Disney universe. Ehrenreich has reportedly been cast in Ironheart, the upcoming Marvel Studios Disney+ show starring Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams, a young, genius superhero.
Deadline, which broke the news, doesn’t know who Ehrenreich is going to play, but as long as it’s not a young Tony Stark, we don’t care. Chinaka Hodge was recently tapped as head writer and Anthony Ramos (In the Heights) is rumored to be among the cast too. Audiences are likely get their first glimpse of Riri in this winter’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, where she’s expected to make her debut.
Since we don’t know much about Ironheart the show, or Ehrenreich’s role in it, we feel like it’s worth discussing the actor himself. After Solo, he took a multi-year break from acting, only returning recently to join Christopher Nolan’s latest, Oppenheimer, as well as the Elizabeth Banks comedy Cocaine Bear. We’d only be speculating to the reasons for the break but coming after the troubled production and reception for Solo, you might assumed he’d want to keep away from similarly massive franchises for a while. And yet, boom. Almost immediately, he’s joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That’s not just encouraging for any and all potential Han Solo-adjacent projects (hello Lando show), but also the strength of this role and show. Something about the production, be it his character, Hodge’s writing and vision, or his castmates, must have really drawn the actor in.
We may get official confirmation of Ehrenreich, as well as Ramos, next week when Marvel Studios brings its upcoming projects to Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con. And you can bet, if he walks onto that stage, he’ll get a reception befitting of a hero of the Rebellion.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel and Star Wars releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.