Let me start out by saying that this editorial is mainly my opinion and while I think Mr. Ingruber would make an interesting Solo, others may not and that's okay. I'm not trying to force (teehee, no pun intended) anything down anyone's throat, but what I AM trying to do is simply spread the word about this guy. So without further ado, here are the 4 reasons why Anthony Ingruber would make a great younger version of everyone's favorite intergalactic smuggler:
4) Look and Voice: His uncanny resemblance to Harrison Ford. Seriously, take a look at the guy and try denying that he doesn't share a striking resemblance. Even if you don't think he resembles Ford in his younger years all that much then try denying that he doesn't at least look a tiny bit similar. Although, looking like someone isn't a major factor in getting roles, it still helps in a lot of different ways and plays in favor of instead of against. It also doesn't hurt that Anthony Ingruber has a deep voice. We wouldn't a girly sounding scoundrel, would we? No. No, we wouldn't. I sure as hell don't.
3) Height and Age: Height and age play an important part in getting roles. For example, if a character is written with a specific age and height then that instantly narrows down a long list of contenders and it would be easier for both sides of the party. However, it seems age isn't that big of a deal since teenage characters are mostly played by twenty year olds than, you know, actual teenagers. I've seen names like Nathan Fillion, Josh Brolin, Timothy Olyphant, and Ryan Reynolds thrown around online recently and while most of them are really good actors... they are either too old or a mismatch to be Han. Guys, seriously!? It's an origin movie where he hasn't even met the gang yet, so he can't be played by a forty year old and still be expected to be called "young." Almost all of the choices I've seen online are either too old for an ORIGINS movie or are the same crop of actors that have become the usual shout outs for literally any other role. Let's see, Harrison Ford was in his thirties during the filming of A New Hope, the spin-off takes place before the original trilogy, so that means that depending on exactly how many years Disney and Lucasfilm plans to set the story in, Han would have to anywhere from possibly nineteen to his mid-twenties at most (maybe even 29 to give it that 30 yr old edge). Anthony is 24 years old and he's 6ft tall, so he's just the right age and height to pull it off.
2) Acting: Some users on CBM have brought up Ingruber in the comments section before and while I understand the concern about his acting abilities because he's mainly known for his impression videos, I'm here to say: Don't worry about it. You really don't need to look further than his YouTube vidoes, which showcase his versatility and all the effort and dedication he puts in. Not only does he do impressions, but he also captures the facial expressions of the actors he's doing an impression of to a T. I'm certain that everyone on this site loves with a passion and because of it we want "our" comic book movies to be good. We want them to exceed our expectations. We want good directors, good screenwriters, good actors, and so on to be involved. I don't want an actor wearing a white shirt and a black vest walking around the Mos Eisley Cantina saying, "Han Solo, I'm captain of the Millennium Falcon," if they can't act to save their lives, but this dude CAN act (Eyes Open Nevermore, impression videos). I don't want to see Ingruber as Han doing a straight up impression of Harrison Ford. If he can throw a piece of his Ford impression like the mannerisms and a bit of the voice, but make Solo his own like Chris Pine did as Captain Kirk in Star Trek than I'm all for it. Same characteristics, different approach.
1) Unknown: Yep, the number one reason is he's a relatively unknown actor, which I would prefer the higher ups go with when it comes time to casting. Whatever happened to the "American Dream?" Before Star Wars nobody knew who the hell Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, or Harrison Ford were. They were all unknowns at the time, so why can't the same thing happen? There's a lot of aspiring actors out there who are hungry for a big break in the industry. Frankly, I'm sick and tired of seeing the same crop of actors suggested as ideal for the part. Get someone new, please. We wouldn't know what to expect from an unknown actor filling in a big role like this, which is actually better because we wouldn't have a preconceived image of that actor to make up our minds about how they're going to bring the character to life before the movie even comes out.
So what do you guys think? Agree? Disagree? Have your own personal favorite choice to fill in the vest and holster? Tell me in the comments section below!