Star Wars writer Lawrence Kasdan on how to cast a young Han Solo

The new era of Star Wars begins in a matter of hours, but there's already been plenty of talk about the future of the franchise, which will include a Han Solo prequel directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller. That title brings with it the unique challenge of casting a young Solo, and one person who is definitely worth listening to in this regard is Star Wars screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan.

Speaking with Vulture, Kasdan gave his two cents on how to go about casting the iconic character: "You want someone who isn’t going to be exactly like Harrison, you want someone who suggests him.

"It’s like when you adapt a book, and I’ve adapted a couple: You don’t want to adapt it word for word, you want the essence to come through," Kasdan continued. "With Harrison, though, it’s not easy to find someone with those kinds of qualities. He’s like Spencer Tracy, and what does a young Spencer Tracy look like?"

Kasdan's comments suggests that Disney are already going about this the right way; it's smarter to look for someone who has the right swagger as opposed to a lookalike. Whoever is eventually chosen to inherit the Millennium Falcon, one thing is for sure - he will have some big, Harrison Ford sized shoes to fill.

Directed by JJ Abrams and starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Andy Serkis, Oscar Isaac and Gwendoline Christie, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is released in UK cinemas on December 17, 2015 before opening in US theatres a day later.

Images: LucasFilm