Kathleen Kennedy Says She Regrets the Han Solo Movie

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Kathleen Kennedy, stepping down as head of Lucasfilm, admits she has slight regrets about one project during her time leading Star Wars and Indiana Jones: Solo: A Star Wars Story.

When asked about projects she’d like to revisit, or improve with more time, she singled out the 2018 Han Solo movie, which featured Alden Ehrenreich as the iconic character famously played by Harrison Ford.

She and writer Lawrence Kasdan were initially very enthusiastic about the idea, but she ultimately concluded that, at this time, it’s simply impossible to replace the character of Han Solo.

But by that point, it was too late to turn back. She added…

Alden Ehrenreich was a great actor, and while he did a good job, we set him up for a really difficult task. Once we started down that path, we had to see it through. Looking back, I slightly regret the way things played out, but I don’t regret the actual process of making the film. I just think we tried to do it before it was the right time.

Despite acknowledging she stands by the creative choices made on Solo, the film experienced significant difficulties during production. Initially, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, known for 21 Jump Street and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, were set to direct. However, disagreements arose between them and the film’s president, Kathleen Kennedy, and writer, Lawrence Kasdan, leading to Lord and Miller’s departure. Ron Howard ultimately finished the movie.

Despite some mixed reactions from critics (currently holding a 69% score on Rotten Tomatoes), Solo didn’t do well in theaters, especially compared to other Star Wars movies. It earned $393 million worldwide, making it the lowest-grossing live-action film in the Star Wars franchise so far.

Even though the latest Indiana Jones film, Dial of Destiny, performed similarly at the box office to other movies, Kennedy stated she has no regrets about making it.

She said Harrison Ford expressed interest in revisiting the role, and they were happy to make it happen. She believes giving him that opportunity was the correct decision, as he was eager to be involved in the film.

Actors Who Were Wasted in Star Wars Roles

Danny Trejo

As a huge movie fan, I’ve always loved Danny Trejo – he’s become Robert Rodriguez’s signature actor, popping up in nearly all his films. So when he showed up in The Book of Boba Fett on Disney+, I wasn’t surprised. But honestly, his role was a total letdown! He played the guy who trains Boba Fett’s rancor… for like, two minutes. Seriously? This is Machete we’re talking about! You’re telling me they didn’t want to see him go head-to-head with Boba Fett? It felt like a huge missed opportunity.

Dominic Monaghan

Disney’s Star Wars sequels often feature characters who are heavily promoted before the film’s release, only to have very little screen time. In The Rise of Skywalker, Beaumont Kin, played by Dominic Monaghan, was one of those characters. He was built up as a skilled codebreaker for the Rebel Alliance, and the casting of a recognizable actor from Lord of the Rings and Lost suggested he’d be a significant figure. However, Beaumont ended up having a surprisingly small role and didn’t contribute much to the story.

Dominic West

Before Dominic West became famous for his role in The Wire, he had a very small, almost unnoticeable part in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. He played a security guard who briefly allows Anakin Skywalker access to Queen Amidala, with only a few lines and no close-up shots. Given his talent and charisma, West would seem ideally suited to play a charming, rogue-like character similar to Han Solo, and he still could. For now, though, that brief appearance in The Phantom Menace feels like a missed opportunity.

Gwendoline Christie

When Gwendoline Christie, known for her role in Game of Thrones, was cast as Captain Phasma in The Force Awakens, fans were excited. Phasma was presented as a tough, armored Stormtrooper. However, her role ended up being quite small. The character seemed to exist mostly to showcase a visually impressive design that was initially created for Kylo Ren. While Phasma appeared in both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, she didn’t really contribute much to the stories, and her memorable armor could have been worn by anyone.

Jessica Henwick

Jessica Henwick has been in some incredibly popular franchises! You might recognize her from Game of Thrones, but she’s also appeared in the Star Wars universe and as Colleen Wing in Iron Fist. More recently, she played Bugs in The Matrix Resurrections, becoming a central figure for the new generation of characters. And if you look closely in The Force Awakens, you can spot her as an X-wing pilot.

Justin Theroux

Justin Theroux originally signed on for a much bigger role as the Master Codebreaker in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. However, as the story evolved under director Rian Johnson, almost all of his scenes were cut. Johnson asked Theroux if he’d still be willing to appear, even for a very small part that would mostly be a fun nod for dedicated fans, and Theroux agreed. It’s always good to see Justin Theroux in a movie, but it’s even better when he has more to do than just make a cameo.

Lupita Nyong’o

Lupita Nyong’o, an Academy Award winner for her role in 12 Years a Slave, later appeared as the CGI character Maz Kanata in the Star Wars sequels. Unfortunately, the character didn’t offer Nyong’o much opportunity to showcase her acting skills. Across three films, Maz Kanata had a minimal impact on the plot. She briefly attempted to give Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber to Rey, then directed Finn, Poe, and Rose to Canto Bight in The Last Jedi. In The Rise of Skywalker, she primarily served to explain plot points related to General Leia, developed after Carrie Fisher’s passing. Throughout the sequels, Maz Kanata lacked any truly compelling or memorable moments, and despite the payment, Disney didn’t fully utilize Nyong’o’s talents.

Max Von Sydow

You probably forgot that Max von Sydow appeared in The Force Awakens, and that’s understandable! He played Lor San Tekka, a character with a longer name than his screen time. Lor San Tekka is an old friend of Luke Skywalker who gives Poe Dameron the map leading to Luke – a crucial piece of information for the story. Unfortunately, his role is short-lived, as he’s killed off quickly. We barely had time to get to know him!

Rose Byrne

By 2002, Rose Byrne was already a successful actress in Australia, having won Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival in 2000 for her role in Goddess of 1967. While her part as a handmaiden to Senator Amidala in Attack of the Clones made her seem like a newcomer, this was largely how Hollywood viewed her at the time. She soon demonstrated she was capable of far more significant roles.

Sung Kang

Sung Kang, known for his role in the Fast & Furious movies, has the charisma to lead a Star Wars series – his Fast & Furious character, Han Seoul-oh, is even inspired by Han Solo! Sadly, his actual Star Wars character, Fifth Brother, was a minor Inquisitor in Obi-Wan Kenobi and didn’t make much of an impact. Maybe a standalone Seoul-Oh: A Star Wars Story would have been a better idea?

Thandiwe Newton

Many actors weren’t used to their full potential in Solo, but Thandiwe Newton’s character felt especially underdeveloped. She played Val, a partner to the criminal Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson) who mentors a young Han Solo. Val dies during an early, failed heist, supposedly to drive Beckett’s storyline forward. It would have been better to see Newton, a talented actress, in almost any other role in the film—anything that gave her more to do than this limited part. Newton herself was unhappy with how her character’s story ended, and revealed in an interview that Val wasn’t originally meant to die, or at least not so definitively. She powerfully stated that killing off the first Black woman with a significant role in a Star Wars movie felt like a serious misstep.

Titus Welliver

Titus Welliver is a fantastic television actor with a long and impressive career, going back to memorable roles in shows like Deadwood, Lost, and Sons of Anarchy. More recently, he’s become well-known for playing the lead in the Amazon series Bosch and its continuation, Bosch: Legacy. He made a brief appearance in Star Wars as the captain of an Imperial ship in The Mandalorian, a character who unfortunately died before the episode ended, ruling out any future appearances. But thankfully, we’ll always have Bosch to enjoy!

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2026-01-17 00:57