Ron Howard Describes 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' as Han's "Rite of Passage"

Solo: A Star Wars Story is shaping up to be much more than the origin of one of the franchise's most iconic characters. Not only will the movie reveal how Han Solo became the man we met in A New Hope, but the film will show how he earned his stripes in the first place.

This prequel will depict a rite of passage for Han Solo. At least, that's how director Ron Howard describes it.

Howard, who took over as the Solo director in the middle of production after Phil Lord and Chris Miller left the project, recently spoke with EW about the upcoming movie. With just over a month left until its released, he talked a bit about what fans can expect when they show up to the theater.

When the subject of Han's young personality came up, Howard said that this movie would be a rite of passage, as he becomes the character we all know him to be.

"It really is a rite of passage," Howard says. "The story sends him on an unexpected journey that hurtles him into a dangerous world surrounded by charismatic but lawless characters. And that's where he needs to try to make his way and gain his freedom. So, so much of this is about trying to satisfy that yearning to really be free, to really call his own shots in a very lawless part of the galaxy and at a time when it was wide-open."

The Han we've come to love has been around the block more than a few times, and he tends to have a pretty negative outlook on the worlds around him. As has been made clear by the trailers for Solo, this young version of Han will be a lot more excited about what's going on. He hasn't had the chance to become the grizzled smuggler that meets Luke and Obi-Wan years down the road.

Are you excited for Solo: A Star Wars Story? Will the movie tell the backstory of Han in the way you've always hoped? Let us know by dropping a line in the comment section below!

Solo: A Star Wars Story is set to hit theaters on May 25, just one week after Deadpool 2 is released on May 18. You can watch the trailer for Solo: A Star Wars Story in the video at the top of the page.