11 Reasons You're Wrong About Solo: A Star Wars Story

4. Ehrenreich Completely Defied Expectation

When it comes to Star Wars, everyone involved will have to deal with an element of pressure. The franchise is so revered, so well known that, to get it wrong, would spell lasting criticism for all involved. No one absorbed more of that pressure with Solo, however, than the man who played the eponymous smuggler himself - Alden Ehrenreich.

Throughout the film's production - and to a degree its marketing as well - talk of Ehrenreich's performance dominated anxieties. To assume a part Harrison Ford pretty much made was no easy feat, and with talk of acting coaches being needed too, those initial trailers and TV spots didn't inspire the largest amount of confidence.

Come the film's release however, Ehrenreich silenced all his critics with a performance that not only deepened our understanding of Han Solo, but one that was compelling enough to sit alongside Ford's too. It's that good, and to that extent, Ehrenreich is probably the best thing about the film.

It's still Han, but not quite as you remember him. In finding a balance between imitation and something different, then, Ehrenreich more than proves that he's the man for the job.