Over the past couple of weeks we have been getting bombarded with Star Wars news, from J.J. Abrams directing Star Wars: Episode VII to a number of spin-off movies in development. One of those spin-offs is a prequel involving everyone’s favorite space smuggler, Han Solo. To celebrate let’s look at five potential actors who could fill Harrison Ford’s shoes.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is an actor whose star is on the rise after appearing in The Dark Knight Rises and Premium Rush, not to mention his role as a younger version of Bruce Willis in Looper. He has proven himself to be a talented actor and has shown he can be serious, cool, and funny — a great mix for whoever takes on Han.
Ryan Gosling
Ryan Gosling has shown himself to be one of the most talented actors of his generation, showing he has range from drama to comedy and action. He is on the precipice of becoming a huge star and playing the young Han Solo would cement it. He has already played a cool, brooding anti-hero in the neo-noir movie Drive, a character of few words but who dominated the screen nonetheless. 
Alexander Skarsgård
A “Star Wars” movie about one of the series’ most popular characters is going to be a massive hit, so Disney can easily pick an emerging actor to take the role. Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgård (son of Stellan) has shown his talents on television in Generation Kill and True Blood and was the only actor to come out of Battleship with a shred of dignity.
Joel Kinnaman
Another emerging actor from Sweden has made his name in the States on television, starring in AMC’s version of The Killing. He has proven himself in his native Sweden in the Johan Falk film series, earning a Guldbagge Award nomination and is going to be the new Robocop in the 2014 reboot of the Robocop series. He is certainly an actor on the rise.
Richard Madden
If the "Star Wars" filmmakers want to focus on Han Solo when he was in his early or mid twenties then an emerging actor to look at is Game of Thrones star Richard Madden. At the age of 26, he is one of the biggest characters on one the most popular and critically acclaimed programs on television, and he has a big future ahead of him. Plus, he knows how to use a weapon.
