The Solo: A Star Wars Story cast is led by Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo, with Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca, Woody Harrelson as Tobias Beckett, Emilia Clarke as Qi'ra and Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian. Thandiwe Newton plays Val, Phoebe Waller-Bridge plays the droid L3-37 and Paul Bettany plays the crime boss Dryden Vos. Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), directed by Ron Howard, opened in US theaters on May 25, 2018, after Phil Lord and Christopher Miller left during production. Because the story is set before the original trilogy, familiar characters arrive with new faces, and Chewbacca is played by Suotamo, whom original Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew mentored as his successor. Voice roles round out the ensemble, with Jon Favreau as the pilot Rio Durant and Linda Hunt as the gang boss Lady Proxima, both sharing their characters with performers on set.
| # | Actor | Character |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alden Ehrenreich | Han Solo |
| 2 | Joonas Suotamo | Chewbacca |
| 3 | Woody Harrelson | Tobias Beckett |
| 4 | Emilia Clarke | Qi'ra |
| 5 | Donald Glover | Lando Calrissian |
| 6 | Thandiwe Newton | Val |
| 7 | Phoebe Waller-Bridge | L3-37 |
| 8 | Paul Bettany | Dryden Vos |
| 9 | Jon Favreau | Rio Durant (voice) |
| 10 | Erin Kellyman | Enfys Nest |
| 11 | Linda Hunt | Lady Proxima (voice) |
| 12 | Ian Kenny | Rebolt |
| 13 | John Tui | Korso |
| 14 | Anna Francolini | Imperial Emigration Officer |
| 15 | Andrew Woodall | Imperial Recruitment Officer |
| 16 | Warwick Davis | Weazel |
| 17 | Shaquille Ali-Yebuah | Imperial Mudtrooper |
| 18 | Eben Figueiredo | Imperial Mudtrooper |
| 19 | Aaron Heffernan | Imperial Mudtrooper |
| 20 | Hal Fowler | Mimban Lieutenant |
| 21 | Damian Farrell | Mimban Guard |
| 22 | Charlotte Louise | Margo |
| 23 | Sema-Tawi Smart | Chanteuse |
| 24 | Clint Howard | Ralakili |
Billing order from the film's credits (TMDB). Actors with a Cinvibe page and characters with a character page are linked.
Also in the cast: Dee Tails (Quay Tolsite), Attila Vajda (Sagwa), Anthony Daniels (Tak), Kiran Shah (Karjj), Fraser Patrick Kelly (Eager Scrumrat), Lily Newmark (Lexi), Jason Wong (Weapons Check Enforcer), Alice Hewkin (Female Guest), Samantha Colley (Ottilie), Robert Morgan (Imperial Guest), Miles Richardson (Regional Governor), Sammy Hayman (Spaceport Father), Rona Morison (Spaceport Mother), Dempsey Bovell (Imperial Clerk), Joseph Charles (Savareen Air Traffic Controller), Dave Chapman (Rio Durant / Lady Proxima), Katy Kartwheel (Rio Durant), Harley Durst (Moloch), Andrew Jack (Moloch (voice)), Sam Witwer (Maul (voice)), Ray Park (Maul), Toby Hefferman (Bink Otauna (uncredited)), Jon Kasdan (Tag Greenley (uncredited)), Richard Dixon (Elite Citizen (uncredited)), Deepak Anand (Sheesha Smoking Guest (uncredited)), Samantha Alleyne (Mimban Trooper / Stormtrooper (uncredited)), Juan Alonso (Space Mine Control Room Droid (uncredited)), Derek Arnold (Argus Panox (uncredited)), Belinda Chapple (Drydens Guest (uncredited)), Kristianne-Kaith Domingo (Civilian Woman (uncredited)), John Duggan (Fisherman (uncredited)), Jordan Dumaurier (Mud Trooper (uncredited)), Vikki Edwards (Fisherwoman (uncredited)), Marc Esse (Imperial Officer (uncredited)), Kristine Fernandez (Slave (uncredited)), James Filanowski (Imperial Officer (uncredited)), David Guerrero (Dancer (uncredited)), Juke Hardy (Market Trader (uncredited)), Sarah Sayuri Hare (Space Bar Girl (uncredited)), Ian Harrod (Imperial Officer (uncredited)), Philip Harvey (Imperial Officer (uncredited)), Robin Harvey (Imperial Mudtrooper (uncredited)), Marina Hayter (Droid Arena Spectator (uncredited)), Brian Herring (Hirang Birren (uncredited)), Robert Hladik (Imperial Speeder Driver (uncredited)), Van-Tien Hoang (Moloch Henchman (uncredited)), Kevin Hudson (Mimban trooper (uncredited)), Ty Hurley (Imperial Fleet Trooper (uncredited)), Sean James (Henchman (uncredited)), Tobias James-Samuels (Stormtrooper (uncredited)), Jackson Kai (Elite Citizen (uncredited)), John Kamau (Savareen Miner (uncredited)), Kamil Lemieszewski (Dryden Skipper (uncredited)), Jorge Leon (Mud Trooper (uncredited)), Chelsea Li (Dryden's Yacht guest (uncredited)), Chelsea Mather (Rebel (uncredited)), Obie Matthew (Dryden Guest (uncredited)), Kenny-Lee Mbanefo (Squad Leader Mudtrooper (uncredited)), Ashley McGuire (Lodge Human Trainer (uncredited)), Jacqueline Ramnarine (Bar Patron (uncredited)), Christina Richards (Girl in Deadwood Den Watching (uncredited)), Belal Sabir (Fisherman (uncredited)), Sarah-Stephanie Skjoldevik (Dancer (uncredited)), Atul Sharma (Dryden Guest (uncredited)), Stephanie Silva (Cloud-Rider Silvasu Fi (uncredited)), Neil Alexander Smith (Starcave Nebula Guard (uncredited)), Clem So (Dryden Guest (uncredited)), Karol Steele (Slave (uncredited)), A.k. Steppa (Fort Ypso Vagrant (uncredited)), Fran Targ (Slave (uncredited)), Steven F. Thompson (Imperial Fleet Trooper (uncredited)), Klemens Niklaus Trenkle (Fort Ypso Bar Guest (uncredited)), Jo Wheatley (Fisherwoman (uncredited)), Ray Whelan (Marauder (uncredited)), Angela Yeoh (Miner (uncredited)), Mark Ryder (Dryden's Guest (uncredited)), Paul Davis (Drill Wookiee Slave (uncredited)), Richard Stanley (Cutthroat Hunter at Fort Ypso (uncredited)), Sarah-Jane De Crespigny (Slave (uncredited)).
Alden Ehrenreich plays Han Solo in Solo: A Star Wars Story, from his escape from Corellia as a young orphan to his meeting with the smuggler Tobias Beckett on Mimban. His casting was made official at Star Wars Celebration in July 2016, and directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller said they saw more than 3,000 people for the part, with Ehrenreich the first person they met.
Joonas Suotamo plays Chewbacca, the Wookiee who becomes Han's loyal companion and copilot in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Lucasfilm named him in the role when filming began at Pinewood Studios in February 2017, and StarWars.com later wrote that Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca from A New Hope (1977) through The Force Awakens (2015), mentored Suotamo as his successor. Disney notes that he is a former college basketball player.
Woody Harrelson plays Tobias Beckett in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Beckett is a career criminal who, in Disney's description, takes the young Han under his wing and teaches him codes to live by, such as trusting no one. Harrelson was among the actors Lucasfilm confirmed when principal photography started on February 20, 2017, at a point when his character had not yet been named in public.
Emilia Clarke plays Qi'ra, Han's early love in Solo: A Star Wars Story, who grows up beside him as an orphan working for a gang on Corellia and is caught at the checkpoint when they try to escape together. StarWars.com announced her casting on November 18, 2016, and her role was still unnamed when Disney confirmed the cast at the start of filming in February 2017.
Donald Glover plays Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story, a younger version of the character Billy Dee Williams originated in The Empire Strikes Back (1980). Lucasfilm announced the casting in October 2016, and Phil Lord and Christopher Miller said in a statement that they were lucky to have an artist as talented as Glover. Glover has described his Lando as sometimes good and sometimes bad.
Thandiwe Newton plays Val in Solo: A Star Wars Story, a tough and calm gangster who works alongside Tobias Beckett in his crew. Disney confirmed her as part of the ensemble when filming began in February 2017, announcing her under the name Thandie Newton, while the TMDB credits now list her as Thandiwe Newton. Newton has said of the character that nothing fazes her.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge plays L3-37 in Solo: A Star Wars Story, Lando's copilot and a droid who rebuilt herself from astromech and protocol droid parts and speaks up loudly for droid rights. Disney's character guide calls her the first leading female droid in the Star Wars universe. Waller-Bridge was one of the cast members Lucasfilm confirmed when principal photography began at Pinewood Studios in February 2017.
Paul Bettany plays Dryden Vos in Solo: A Star Wars Story, a crime boss he has described as an unpredictable, anarchic sociopath. He joined late in the process: Variety reported on September 1, 2017 that Bettany was coming aboard during Ron Howard's reshoots, after Michael K. Williams, whose character was cut, could not return because of his commitment to The Red Sea Diving Resort.
Jon Favreau voices Rio Durant in Solo: A Star Wars Story, an Ardennian pilot with four limbs and a longtime associate of Beckett and Val. Rio first appears on Mimban, where he hid his species while working among Mimban's laborers until he was in the cockpit of a stolen AT-Hauler. The TMDB credits also list Dave Chapman and Katy Kartwheel for the character on set. Favreau went on to direct The Mandalorian and Grogu, released on May 22, 2026.
Erin Kellyman plays Enfys Nest in Solo: A Star Wars Story, the masked leader of the Cloud-Riders, a swoop gang that targets the same Imperial conveyex shipment as Beckett's crew on Vandor. The StarWars.com databank notes that her mask and armor hide her identity and background, which keeps her motives unclear at first. Enfys Nest is a character introduced in this film, and Kellyman is billed tenth in the credits.
Linda Hunt voices Lady Proxima in Solo: A Star Wars Story, the Grindalid matriarch who leads the White Worms gang and runs Corellia's black market from sewer tunnels beneath Coronet City. It is a voice credit in the TMDB listing, with Dave Chapman credited for both Rio Durant and Lady Proxima, so the character on screen combines Hunt's voice with a performer on set.
Ian Kenny plays Rebolt in Solo: A Star Wars Story, a human enforcer for Moloch in the White Worms gang, who keeps the young scrumrats in line with Corellian hounds and a staff he made himself. The StarWars.com databank adds that Rebolt wanted to become Lady Proxima's Head Boy and still resents being passed over for Qi'ra. Moloch is a shared credit, with Harley Durst on set and Andrew Jack as the voice.
Casting for Solo: A Star Wars Story ran from 2016 into the reshoots of 2017, under two sets of directors. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller found their Han first, confirming Alden Ehrenreich at Star Wars Celebration in July 2016 after seeing more than 3,000 people, and Donald Glover followed as Lando Calrissian that October. Emilia Clarke joined in November 2016, and when principal photography began at Pinewood Studios on February 20, 2017, Lucasfilm confirmed Woody Harrelson, Thandiwe Newton (announced at the time as Thandie Newton), Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Joonas Suotamo alongside them.
Lucasfilm announced on June 20, 2017 that Lord and Miller had left about four months into production, and Ron Howard is credited as director of the finished film. So, the largest change to the cast came during his reshoots, when Paul Bettany stepped in as Dryden Vos after Michael K. Williams was unable to return because of another film. For the release dates, runtime and full crew, see the Solo: A Star Wars Story page, which covers the production in more detail.
Solo: A Star Wars Story brings back three familiar characters from the original trilogy, each played by a new or succeeding actor. Lando Calrissian, first played by Billy Dee Williams in The Empire Strikes Back (1980), is now Donald Glover, and Han Solo is played by Alden Ehrenreich. Chewbacca is the closest link to the earlier films, because Peter Mayhew played the Wookiee from A New Hope (1977) through The Force Awakens (2015), and Lucasfilm says he mentored Joonas Suotamo as his successor.
The other leading characters are new to the films, from Tobias Beckett and Qi'ra to L3-37, Enfys Nest and Dryden Vos. If you are placing this spinoff among the Star Wars movies, it is set before the original trilogy, which is why it needed younger versions of characters that audiences already knew.
| Director | Ron Howard |
|---|---|
| Writers | George Lucas, Lawrence Kasdan, Jon Kasdan |
| Producers | Kathleen Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Allison Shearmur |
| Music | John Powell |
| Cinematography | Bradford Young |
Alden Ehrenreich played Han Solo in Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018). His casting was confirmed at Star Wars Celebration in July 2016, after directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller said they had seen more than 3,000 people for the role. He is billed first, ahead of Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca.
The main villain in Solo: A Star Wars Story is the crime boss Dryden Vos, played by Paul Bettany, who has described him as an unpredictable, anarchic sociopath. The film also features Lady Proxima, voiced by Linda Hunt, who leads the White Worms gang on Corellia.
Joonas Suotamo plays Chewbacca in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Lucasfilm confirmed him in the role when filming began in February 2017, and StarWars.com has written that Peter Mayhew, the original Chewbacca, mentored Suotamo as his successor after retiring from the part.
No, Michael K. Williams does not appear in the finished version of Solo: A Star Wars Story. He shot a role during the original production, but Variety reported in September 2017 that his character had been cut and that Paul Bettany was joining during the reshoots, because Williams was committed to The Red Sea Diving Resort and could not return.
Jon Favreau voices Rio Durant, the Ardennian pilot in Tobias Beckett's crew, in Solo: A Star Wars Story. The TMDB credits list Favreau as the voice, while Dave Chapman and Katy Kartwheel are credited for the character on set. Favreau later directed The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026) for Lucasfilm.
No, Solo: A Star Wars Story did not bring back the original trilogy actors in its lead roles, because it tells Han's story before that trilogy. Han Solo and Lando Calrissian are played by Alden Ehrenreich and Donald Glover, while Chewbacca is played by Joonas Suotamo, who was mentored by original Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew.
Star Wars the Adventure Continues most likely refers to Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, a flight simulator with digital 3D video and more than 250 possible storyline variations.
James Earl Jones was an American actor who voiced Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in The Lion King.
Darth Maul is Darth Sidious's former Sith apprentice, who survives being cut in half by Obi-Wan Kenobi and later becomes a criminal leader.
Darth Plagueis is a Muun Sith Lord who trained Darth Sidious, also known as Palpatine.
The commando droid is a Separatist battle droid that stands 1.91 meters tall and serves during the Clone Wars.
Vader's TIE fighter is the TIE Advanced X1, an experimental fighter listed at 5.8 meters long.