Greedo will have a new voice sitting across from him in the cantina later this year. Without question, Darth Vader is Star Wars' most iconic character. It's not often that a villain is so impactful that they're identified by the sound they make rather than their appearance. Every project that's graced by the Sith Lord's presence benefits majorly, even if it's only for a few scenes, such as his appearance in Maul – Shadow Lord.
But Vader isn't the only figure from a galaxy far, far away that can claim that. Han Solo, the suave smuggler, leaves every place better than he found it (with the exception of the Death Stars). Most of the credit for Han's success belongs to Harrison Ford, who portrayed the character brilliantly in the original and sequel trilogies.
No one other than Ford could've pulled off Han's transition from scoundrel to hero so seamlessly. However, another actor is about to give it their best shot.
The Welsh television channel S4C recently announced that a Welsh-language version of Star Wars: A New Hope, titled Star Wars: Gobaith Newydd, will be broadcast on Christmas Day 2026, with a whole new cast providing the dubbing (via The Guardian). Widow's Bay star Matthew Rhys is going to voice Han, marking his first visit to a galaxy far, far away.
While it remains to be seen what aspects of Ford's performance Rhys tries to emulate, he's far from the first to try to fill his shoes. Back in 2018, Solo: A Star Wars Story, a prequel film focused on the titular character's adventures before he linked up with Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, hit theaters. Alden Ehrenreich accepted the challenge of picking up the baton from Ford, certainly aware of the hurdles he'd have to clear.
Ehrenreich didn't have a chance to get off the starting line before trouble found him. Solo's production was plagued by issues, including a director change mid-shoot due to creative differences.
The movie that hit theaters was certainly different than the one Ehrenreich was pitched at the beginning of his journey. And all that baggage affected Solo's box-office run, as it grossed $392.9 million worldwide, an all-time low for the franchise at the time.
The reactions to Ehrenreich's performance in Solo weren't overwhelmingly negative. But Lucasfilm didn't waste any time wiping its hands of the movie and, by extension, Ehrenreich. Maybe the powers that be could be convinced to reconsider their stance, though, especially if Rhys brings his A-game and proves that Ford's performance isn't untouchable.
Han Solo Can Still Have A Future In The Star Wars Franchise
Star Wars as a whole is in a bit of a transition period. After spending the majority of the 2020s focusing on the TV side of things, Lucasfilm's movie division is starting to ramp things up. The Mandalorian & Grogu hit theaters in 2026, bringing the iconic Disney+ duo to the big screen for the first time. While it didn't dominate the box office, it received a positive reception from fans hungry for more Star Wars content.
By all accounts, Star Wars: Starfighter is also shaping up to be a hit. Marvel Studios was certainly ready to scoop up Ryan Gosling and Shawn Levy for a movie under its side of the Disney umbrella, so they had to have done something right.
All that positive momentum means there has to be a path to a Solo follow-up of some sort, or at least another appearance by Ehrenreich. The arrow has likewise been trending up for him since the Solo fiasco, which means Lucasfilm would be foolish not to knock on his door again. And if all goes well, Rhys might be able to dub one of Ehrenreich's performances in the future.
