Solo: A Star Wars Story for shock Han TWIST? The clues are in The Empire Strikes Back

The character was made famous by Harrison Ford in the original Star Wars trilogy, and his origins are being explored in the upcoming caper – due May 25.

Specific plot details have been kept under wraps, but Reddit user ArcLeJoan suggested a credible twist for the film that would see Han beginning by working for the Empire.

Clues, it turns out, are peppered in The Empire Strikes Back, in which he is seen with Lando Calrissian (then Billy Dee Williams, now Donald Glover).

The Redditor wrote: “I think the twist is going to be the reveal that Han was sent by the Empire to bring down Woody Harrelson’s character (and anyone else he can rope in) and arrest them.

“Stuff will happen, Han’s Imperial tendencies will be challenged and he’ll go the way of the scoundrel in the end. There are two bits that make me [think] this will be the case.

“1) The bit where Qi’ra is saying she knows who Han really is. Though it seems like heavy foreshadowing to a genre-savvy fandom such as the SW fandom.

“2) The line Lando says when he greets Han for the first time in ESB. Something along the lines of ‘why you slimy, no-good, double-crossing swindler’, which I think at the time most people took to be related to how Han won the Falcon, but it seems like it could possibly be related to the events of the new movie.

“3) And there’s the little bit on the approach to Cloud City where Chewie says something to Han and Han replies, ‘That was along time ago… I’m sure he’s forgotten about that by now.’”

Alongside Ehrenreich, Harrelson and Glover, the likes of Emilia Clarke, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Thandie Newton and Paul Bettany will also appear.

Ron Howard has taken over directing duties after replacing a fired Phil Lord and Chris Miller during the filming process.

Ehrenreich last year opened up on advice he received from Ford upon taking the role, telling Empire: “He said, ‘If they ask, tell them I told you everything you need to know and that you can’t tell anyone anything.”

LucasFilm boss Kathleen Kennedy, meanwhile, said: “What he [Harrison Ford] did so beautifully for Alden was he talked a lot about what he remembered when he first read Star Wars, and what George had done with Han.

“Who the character was and the conversations he had for so many years with George about how that character developed.”

Solo: A Star Wars Story is out on May 25 in the US and May 24 in the UK.