There are few cultural phenomenons as big as Star Wars. The franchise debuted in 1977 and has spanned nearly half a century with its nine mainline films and two spinoffs, animated and live-action television shows, various video games, popular comics and novels, and more collectibles than could likely be counted. And as one of pop culture’s most beloved properties, it’s been no stranger to fan-created content like fan-fiction, original art, cosplaying and so much more.
Now, deepfake creator Shamook has shared his newest YouTube creation, and it’s a real doozy that’s certain to excite fans. The new video showcases multiple scenes from 2018’s Han Solo prequel film Solo: A Star Wars Story, but through the power of deepfakes, it replaces Alden Ehrenreich with the lovable smuggler’s original actor, Harrison Ford.
Most surprising is just how well this one works in comparison to some deepfakes, which often look very strange in action. While Shamook’s Solo video certainly isn’t perfectly convincing in every frame, it’s significantly more realistic than we’ve come to expect, and it just feels right to see Ford reprising his classic role in the film.
Solo tells the story of the titular character’s first big heist, which he aims to pull off with a band of galactic smugglers and his new Wookie friend Chewbacca. It features the aforementioned Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo, Emilia Clarke as his best friend Qi’ra, Woody Harrelson as his mentor Beckett and Donald Glover as the young and charismatic Lando Calrissian. And though it underperformed at the box office, it still offers a huge dose of nostalgia with tons of fan service and callbacks to the Original Trilogy.
If you haven’t had an opportunity to watch Solo: A Star Wars Story, you can catch it right now on Disney Plus.
