The Star Wars Han Solo movie cast roster continues to grow. “The Wire”‘s Michael K. Williams is the latest to join the cast. Don’t expect to be able to guess which character he will play. He’s rumored to have a key role. Some sources predict he could play the main villain. Nothing is known about the plot of the upcoming movie except that it will feature a young Han Solo, perhaps in an origin story, and take place before “A New Hope,” similar to last December’s “Rogue One.” The Han Solo movie will be the second Star Wars spinoff and is scheduled to open May, 2018.
Besides joining the cast of “Han Solo,” Williams is involved in a number of television roles. He is most recognizable as Omar on “The Wire,” but has also acted in HBO’s “The Night Of,” ABC’s “When We Rise,” and SundanceTV’s “Hap and Leonard.” He’s also had numerous other TV and film roles, including as Chalky White on “Boardwalk Empire.” White started as a music video dancer before being discovered by Tupac Shakur, and getting a role in Tupac’s 1996 film, “Bullet.” Of course, being a member of the Star Wars Han Solo movie cast is a way to significantly increase a performer’s profile.
Williams gets particularly deep with his character portrayals, and sometimes they hit home in ways that influence his everyday life. His characters can sometimes be a bit too dark, to the point they affect his wellbeing. Williams told NPR how he now deals with that.
“One of the main things that’s changed from when I was first on The Wire and to now — in, particularly, The Night Of — is I know how to differentiate myself from the character. … I still go in just as deep, but now I have the tools … to pull myself out of that.”
#HapAndLeonard‘s @BKBMG will do a Facebook LIVE from @SundanceTV‘s page Monday at 10:30am ET! Go here to ask a Q: https://t.co/aD5fVyKsZ6 pic.twitter.com/SFwaVpMRji
— Hap and Leonard (@HapAndLeonard) March 5, 2017
Besides Michael, the Star Wars Han Solo movie also has confirmed Alden Ehrenreich in the main role of Han Solo, Donald Glover as the classic fan favorite Lando Calrissian, Joonas Suotamoas as Chewbacca, Phoebe Waller-Bridge as a computer graphics generated character, and Emilia Clarke, Thandie Newton and Woody Harrelson in unannounced roles.
Though the plot and many of the characters remain secrets, maybe Star Wars fans will finally learn how Lando and Han became friends. In any case, this is a Star Wars spinoff movie that may offer more satisfaction than “Rogue One.” This time around, the Star Wars Han Solo movie cast appear strong enough to pull off an origin story like this.
