Woody Harrelson will not be playing Garris Shrike in the upcoming Han Solo movie, but a criminal by the name of Beckett. Appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Harrelson said, “Yeah, I play a guy named Beckett who’s kind of a criminal and a mentor... to Han. That’s all I can say, that’s it.” Harrelson will act alongside Alden Ehrenreich, playing a younger version of Han Solo in the next A Star Wars Story movie, due out in 2018.
Earlier rumors suggested Harrelson would play a Star Wars expanded universe character named Garris Shrike, which Harrelson seemed to confirm in a video interview for Variety. Though watching the video should clear that up, it seems clear that Harrelson wasn’t really sure what they were referring to and had not heard the name before:
Still, since Beckett is a criminal mentor to Han Solo and Shrike is also a criminal mentor to Han Solo, Shrike’s biography might provide some insight into the A Star Wars Story character. Shrike was Fagin to Han’s Artful Dodger, who Solo skipped out on after he killed Han’s Wookiee mom figure, Dewlannamapia. Yes, Han Solo had a Wookiee mom. So perhaps Disney de-canonizing years of bad expanded universe stories was a good decision.
Beckett’s relationship will be with an adult Han Solo, which means no Dickensian pickpocketing routines with Han, adorable orphaned street urchin.
The untitled Han Solo A Star Wars Story movie comes out May 25, 2018.
