'Solo' Shows A Different Version Of Han Than Fans Have Ever Before Seen

Solo: A Star Wars Story comes out on May 25, and it will put Star Wars audiences back in time during the Galactic Empire's reign. You know, the one that replaced the Galactic Republic after the Clone Wars. But don't worry if you don't know the Galactic Empire from the Ottoman Empire, because the most important time marker in Solo is how old Han Solo is. According to The Wrap, Disney CEO Bob Iger had an interview with USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism's Dean Willow Bay, in which Iger said that Solo follows Han between the ages of 18 to 24. For the older Gen-Zers and young Millennials in the audience, that means you'll be seeing Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) when he was close to your age — ah, if only they had Tinder in the Galaxy far far away.

The Han Solo most Star Wars fans are familiar with, of course, was a strapping 30-something Harrison Ford, so seeing a younger version of the Millennium Falcon pilot might take a minute to wrap your mind around. Han Solo isn't the only Star Wars character you'll see a younger version of in the upcoming movie, though. As you must already know, Solo also features a young Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover). Just as the younger Han might look different than the pilot who became Princess Leia's husband later in life, you will have to get used to the new look of Han's rival, Lando (formerly played by Billy Dee Williams). One familiar character who does look the same no matter what their age is Chewbacca (voiced by Joonas Suotamo), who — of course — serves as Han's copilot in Solo.

Even though Chewbacca is years younger than his age in the already released Star Wars movies, he still has many years of wisdom to show for his long Wookiee life. In a teaser clip from Solo, Chewbacca reveals his age while they fly on the Falcon. Chewbacca makes his quintessential roar noise, which Han interprets as an admission that the Wookiee is 190 years-old. Han tells Chewie, "You look great," after learning that his co-pilot is well into three digits. That begs the question, what exactly is a Wookie's lifespan?

Star Wars' wiki, known as Wookiepedia, claims that a Wookie's lifespan is usually about 400 years. That means that Chewie is middle-aged in Solo, which makes him even older in the following Star Wars movies. Since fans have concluded that Solo takes place sometime between Episode III and Episode IV, that means that Chewbacca was about 200 years old when audiences first met him in 1977's Episode IV: A New Hope. As Polygon points out, fans had originally posited that Chewbacca was about 230 years old in A New Hope. The fact that Chewbacca was about 30 years younger in that movie can only mean that the Wookie has plenty more years of life ahead of him. That's great news, because most people would probably hope that Chewbacca could live forever if they had it their way.

Chewbacca's older age ends up becoming a crucial plot point in Solo, because after the Wookie told Han Solo his three-digit age (and expertly controlled the ship), Qi'ra (Emilia Clarke) gives up her seat as an act of deference. Had Chewie not had his respectable older age, Qi'ra may have remained at the co-pilot's seat of the Falcon with Han and the world may never have gotten one of the most dynamic duos that is Han-and-Chewie. Then again, a woman in the co-pilot's seat would be a great dynamic to see as well.

At least fans get to see Qi'ra breaking gender norms in other ways throughout Solo. With a younger — and probably even cockier — Han Solo starring in the movie, a badass lady by his side is more necessary than ever before.