Why can some roles be recast successfully, and others not?

Because Harrison Ford is a legendary actor and Han Solo is a legendary character. There was no way this was ever going to work because if the Solo movie attempted anything new or inventive the fans would revolt, so therefore Disney had to play it safe and produced a very bland and emotionless film.

Making a Han Solo movie was a mistake from the get go. If they were going to do a spin off on any character Boba Fett would have been the better choice, fans love the character however are not too attached to whoever is playing him.

I'm really glad that Disney is taking a break from these Anthology films for a while, they were never really that good. I personally feel they should finished Episode IX, wrap up all plot points and then just pack it up and not do any more Star Wars films.

This is why Anthony Ingruber should have been cast as Han. Fans want to see a Harrison Ford lookalike as Han even if they think they don't.

IMHO it is due to the actor.

Ewan MacGregor always performs well and is a subtle scene stealer.

New Han Solo is barely a man. His voice was cracking like Peter Brady half the movie.

Ewan MacGregor command attention and respect. Alden is to be pitied.

Alec Guinness was fine in the role, but he was never as memorable as Harrison Ford was as Han Solo, and I think thats part of the reason people readily accepted McGregor in the role.

I think without wanting to sound too heartless, the fact that Guinness is dead also helps, because unless you go the Grand Moff Tarkin CGi route, theres no bringing him back in any capacity, and even if he were alive, he could never play a younger man anymore.

I didn't have a problem with the guy playing Han in the Solo movie, the problem for me was he wasn't given enough memorable Han Solo moments. The script basically played Solo as a bit of a fool that would try and do things, and pretty much ultimately fail, and this isn't the Solo we know from A New Hope, there he was arrogant and cocksure, and he had a right to be, because his schemes and making it up on the spot always seemed to work.

Han in the Solo movie pretty much seemed inept most of the time.

A shame we'll never get to see what Lord and Miller did, because they played it more for laughs, and really, thats exactly what the character of Solo should be.

Han Solo was an integral part of the first three films, whereas Obi-Wan had a big part in the first film and appeared as a ghost in the other two. Obi-Wan was also played by an old man and it was easier to do a young recast. Han Solo was still relatively young when the first movie came out, so the "new" Han is also a young man who will be heavily scrutinized in comparison to Harrison Ford, like it or not. Ewan MacGregor and Alec Guinness were decades apart in age, playing a character several years before and after a radical change, and therefore not really to be compared to one another.

I'm of the opinion, though, that the sequel movies to Star Wars should have taken place directly after Return of the Jedi. They would have had to recast the characters, but why not? It's been 40 years. The actors could have had cameos as other characters. No matter what, they would have a hard time pleasing all the fans.

I'd say because Obi-wan was an elderly man who died half way through the very first Star Wars. His short scenes as a ghost counselor weren't major character types of things. Han was a major character who we have seen from his 30's on until death.

Seeing a 65-70 year old guy who had a complete back story we never knew but heard it hinted at "i was once a Jedi Knight the same as your father" "I was learner now I am the master" Han was a 30 year old guy and we watched him live and age 30 years. Seeing his teens and 20's isn't something people were dying to see.

There's no charismatic actors anymore. You have Chris Pratt, and... well, that's it.

Back in the 70s-80s you had Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Alain Delon, Jean Paul Belmondo, Clint Eastwood, Mel Gibson, Tom Cruise, Kevin Costner (those two ones were a bit too young by then, though)... any of them could fit the shoes of Han Solo.

Now, well... no country for strong men anymore.

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