Hollywood is littered with what could have been. Back to The Future originally featured Eric Stoltz in the lead role, and Nicolas Cage almost played Superman. Things could’ve also been different for the Solo movie from Star Wars because Charlie Cox auditioned for the role. On Reddit, fans still can barely get over it.
Over on the subreddit r/StarWars, user Zepanda66 shared that they just found out about what could have been.
“TIL Charlie Cox auditioned for Young Han Solo in the Solo movie, but lost out on the role because he spent an entire audition staring past his co-lead rather than at them. He was talked to about it and realized that he had been acting blind for over a year due to Daredevil.”
This niggest features two fun facts: one, Cox could’ve been Solo and that might’ve made it a less terrible movie and two, he had to unlearn how to act blind, something user Fantastic_Year9607 also noticed.
“Charlie had to unlearn eye contact. It worked too well.”
User WatchBat highlighted the levity of the situation. “This is a hilarious way to lose a role lol.” Ghost-Warrioe777 agreed: “It’s even better when you remember that both are Disney.”
User CardMechanic comes in hard with the jokes. “All he had to say was “‘I think my eyes are getting better. Instead of a big dark blur, I see a big light blur.'” User Devil25_Apollo25 responded with glee. “This comment is like the Tatooine suns: brilliant.”
User GeneralNerd84 said maybe it was for the best. “I like Charlie Cox but he’s 7 years older than the guy they did cast and I think he’d have looked too old to play a younger Han.” User SendMeNudesThough also pointed out the age differential.
“He could realistically look the part, to me, but Han Solo was born 29 BBY (I always felt he looked significantly older) so he’d been about 19 years old in Solo. Charlie Cox was 36 years old when Solo released. So, I have to agree, a 36 year old playing a 19 year old might be pushing it a little.”
The general consensus is that maybe Cox was too good of an actor anyway. User Tradman86 shared a story of auditioning actors for a blind part and how only one actor really nailed it.
“But the one who got the part, he didn’t wear sunglasses and we could see what he was doing with his eyes. It put him leaps and bounds above the others. Knowing what to do with your eyes while playing a blind person is so pivotal to playing the role, even though he did wear sunglasses for most of the film.”
Others, like user yalenaysabeau, were disappointed: “gaaaaa we could’ve had charlie as han solo.” User Scoobeydubey agreed. “I didn’t want to believe this at first but then Charlie confirmed it. It breaks my heart cause he was really good in theory of everything.”
User Col__Hunter_Gathers pointed to Cox’s other work to make the argument that he would have aced the role.
“Charlie would’ve nailed playing Han. Any doubters should direct themselves to his performance in Boardwalk Empire.”
Even Cox himself admitted that this was the case.
“I realized I had gotten into a habit of not making eye contact, because the only thing I had done for two years is play someone who is blind,” he explained. “I never got invited back, probably because they couldn’t figure out why I was acting like a complete idiot.”
Solo is currently streaming on Disney Plus.