'Han Solo' release date, news: Woody Harrelson confirms he's playing Garris Shrike

Ever since Woody Harrelson was cast as Han Solo's (Alden Ehrenreich) mentor in the "Han Solo" spinoff film, fans have been wondering which specific character he was going to portray. Was he going to play a character already introduced in the "Star Wars" expanded universe (now called Legends)? Or were they going to introduce a new character for the film? Well, looks like fans might have finally gotten their answer.

In an interview with Variety, Harrelson reluctantly admitted that he was playing Garris Shrike in the film. He played coy at first and refused to divulge any information, but when he was asked directly if he's portraying Shrike, he finally gave in and said, "Yeah, I am."

However, Slash Film has pointed out that it's also possible that Harrelson was actually saying "Yeah, I am" to the question of whether he was playing Han's mentor or not. That would be sneaky. Comicbook.com's Lucas Siegel also believed that the actor might have been caught off guard after hearing a name he has never heard of before. After all, Shrike isn't exactly the most popular character in the Legends' catalog.

Shrike is basically the "Star Wars" version of the "Oliver Twist" character Fagin. He taught a group of orphans how to be crooks and Han happens to be one of them. In the novel "The Paradise Snare," Shrike found Han on the streets and he gave the boy a home.

If he is indeed playing Shrike, it means Disney has once again decided to bring another Legends character into "Star Wars" canon. Popular Legends character Grand Admiral Thrawn became canon when he appeared in "Star Wars Rebels" season 3, and the Mandalorian Wars was also mentioned recently in the animated series, paving the way for Darth Revan to possibly become canon as well.

The "Han Solo" spinoff film is scheduled to hit theaters on May 25, 2018.