Former Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy says Solo: A Star Wars Story is the only film released during her 14-year tenure that she has a "bit of regret" about.
"I don’t really have any regrets. Well, maybe a bit of regret about Solo: A Star Wars Story," Kennedy told Deadline. "I brought Larry Kasdan in on, and we were so excited about that idea. And then when you’re into something and you realize fundamentally, conceptually, you cannot replace Han Solo, at least right now."
The 2018 film saw Alden Ehrenreich portray a young Han Solo, starring alongside an A-list cast that included Woody Harrelson, Donald Glover, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Thandiwe Newton, Paul Bettany, and Emilia Clarke. The film received mixed reviews and grossed only $393.2 million against a budget of $275 million, making it the lowest-grossing live-action Star Wars film in the franchise.
"As wonderful as Alden Ehrenreich was, and he really was good, and is a wonderful actor, we put him in an impossible situation," Kennedy explained, possibly referring to the generally negative reaction from fans about Ehrenreich's portrayal of Han. "And once you’re in it and once you’re committed, you’ve got to carry on. I think I have a bit of regret about that, but not about the moviemaking and filmmaking. I don’t have regrets about that. I just think that conceptually, we did it too soon."
Kennedy is handing over the presidential reins to Lucasfilm chief creative officer Dave Filoni and general manager Lynwen Brennan. The next upcoming Star Wars film on the docket is The Mandalorian and Grogu, which is set to hit theaters on May 22. Shawn Levy's Star Wars: Starfighter is slated for a 2027 release.
For more from a galaxy far, far away, check out our list of all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows.
