Star Wars: Han Solo Actor Calls Standalone Film an “Amazing Adventure,” Calls Out Claims It Was a Disappointment

When Solo: A Star Wars Story was headed to theaters, it had its work cut out for it, as behind-the-scenes shakeups were heavily reported on and ignited apprehension in audiences, as well as the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi being released six months earlier and becoming a divisive adventure for Star Wars fanatics. Additionally, star Alden Ehrenreich was tasked with bringing to life one of the most iconic characters in sci-fi history, as defined by Harrison Ford, with the star recently detailing how he felt his involvement in the galaxy far, far away was an “amazing adventure,” while also getting candid about his frustrations regarding the lens through which the film’s box office was perceived.

“‘Movie time’ is so funny,” Ehrenreich shared with Total Film, per GamesRadar. “Solo was a three-year experience, all said and done. I had been away from home pretty much for about three years. And not only on a personal side, but also as an actor and artist – the well’s dry. You haven’t had a whole lot of experience in real relationships with people.”

While he called the experience “an amazing adventure,” it also entirely altered his perception of Star Wars, as filming the project “demystifies something that is very mystified.”

Solo went on to earn nearly $400 million worldwide, an impressive feat for a movie, but in the world of Star Wars, this haul makes it the lowest-grossing film in the franchise. Ehrenreich went on to express how the experience also enlightened him to how entertainment journalism polarizes the reception of a film as opposed to more subtle analysis of a project and the “internet media version of things.”

“That movie, it didn’t do as well as other Star Wars movies, but it still did well for a movie,” the actor expressed. “And so it was kind of this medium thing. But that’s not newsworthy. Even at high-level journalism, there’s an intense pressure, sometimes, it feels like, to catastrophize or celebrate … and I think that’s really f-cking dangerous, especially when it pertains to the stuff that really matters, like the state of the world … an article headline that says ‘Things are complicated, and there are good sides and bad sides’ isn’t getting the emotional response. And I just think we really have to take a step back, and give a lot more thought to the way our emotions are being run by the stories we’re getting inundated with.”

Given how high expectations were for the film, audiences and critics always have initial, passionate reactions to not only the narrative, but also the media cycle leading up to it, though with that media blitz having died down and with the film available on Disney+, viewers have been able to revisit or discover Solo on its own terms. As for that growing appreciation for the film, Ehrenreich confessed, “It really means a lot, and is wonderful, especially with kids, who are excited about it.”

The actor admitted that he was signed on to play Solo in three films, though no word has emerged about getting to see more of the smuggler’s adventures. Stay tuned for details on the future of the Star Wars franchise.

What do you think of the actor’s remarks? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!