Star Wars has found its new Han Solo, and the actor stepping into Harrison Ford’s orbit finally broke his silence. Ford played the smuggler across multiple films, beginning with the 1977 original, and his depiction became so iconic that he remains one of the most beloved movie stars to emerge from the franchise. Naturally, filling shoes that big is daunting, let alone when the role is Han Solo.
Welsh actor Matthew Rhys will voice the character in Star Wars: Gobaith Newydd, the first-ever Welsh-language dub of Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope. Rhys shared his thoughts about the assignment in a conversation with The New York Times podcast(Via BBC) The Interview, calling the recording experience surreal and admitting how "weird" it was to translate familiar Star Wars terms into Welsh:
"What was weird is obviously, they’d had to translate all these things that we’d grown up with, knowing Star Wars. I was saying in Welsh things like 'pelydr cyrchu'... It's kind of like 'tractor beam.' There were words I’ve never used before, and I was tripping on them."
He also admitted how difficult it was to wrap his head around following Ford, explaining why he still hasn’t spoken to the veteran actor:
"At the same time, it was this wildly familiar thing that I got to do. The whole thing was surreal. And then you go, I can’t voice Harrison Ford!"
When asked if he’d spoken to Ford about taking on the part, Rhys was honest, admitting: "No. I’m too scared."
Star Wars: Gobaith Newydd, Welsh for "A New Hope", will broadcast on S4C and across its platforms beginning Christmas Day 2026, leading into A New Hope’s 50th anniversary in 2027. The dub was produced by Lucasfilm and Disney in collaboration with S4C and the Welsh Government via Creative Wales.
Rhys is one of Wales’ biggest exports, having won an Emmy for FX’s The Americans. He leads a Welsh cast that includes Rhys Ifans as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Aimee-Ffion Edwards as Princess Leia, Osian Morgan as Luke Skywalker, and Star Wars veteran Mark Lewis Jones as Darth Vader.
Will Harrison Ford Ever Return as Han Solo?
Harrison Ford returning to the Star Wars franchise seems unlikely given the comments he’s made about reprising the role over the years. The actor wanted Han Solo dead long before the sequel trilogy, famously asking George Lucas to kill off the smuggler during the original trilogy era. His wish was finally granted when he returned for Disney’s sequels. In Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Solo is impaled by his own son, Kylo Ren, played by Adam Driver.
Ford made his final appearance in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, returning as a memory that helps push Kylo toward redemption. Even that cameo required a persuasive pitch from director J.J. Abrams, though by Abrams' account, not much of one. What makes another comeback even less likely is the comments he made about a potential return in 2023. When IGN asked Ford what he’d want from a Force Awakens-era holiday special, he replied, "I’d kill myself," which sums up how strongly he feels about not doing Star Wars again.
Also, the franchise can always feature another actor as Han Solo instead of Ford. Alden Ehrenreich played a younger version of the smuggler in Solo: A Star Wars Story, and Lucasfilm would likely call on him if it ever needed Solo back in another Star Wars movie.
Geraldo Amartey is a writer at The Direct. He joined the team in 2025, bringing with him four years of experience covering entertainment news, pop culture, and fan-favorite franchises for sites like YEN, Briefly and Tuko.
