Alden Ehrenreich has reportedly been cast as Han Solo in Disney's Star Wars spinoff.

The 26-year-old actor is a little known name in Hollywood, with one of his only major roles coming in comedy Hail, Caesar! earlier this year (16). But now, according to Deadline Hollywood, Alden has landed one of the most sought-after parts in the industry - apparently beating stars including Taron Egerton and Jack Reynor.

He will take on the role of Solo, previously made famous by Harrison Ford, in Disney's standalone movie about the life of the hero before he first made his appearance in 1977's Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope.

Deadline reports that Alden is "negotiating to seal the deal", so an official announcement can be expected in due course.

The movie is being developed by filmmakers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller for a scheduled 2018 release, and production is thought to be starting in January (17).

According to Variety, the reason for the delayed start to filming could be so that Alden's Solo can be introduced as a cameo role in another of Disney's upcoming spinoffs - Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Harrison recently reprised his role as Solo in the new blockbuster movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but he wants no involvement in the casting process or any aspects of the spinoff production.

"I don't know what to think about that," he said during a press conference in London in December (15). "I'm glad that somebody else is going to have the burden of being young. It's well beyond my understanding or control and I want nothing to do with it, in the nicest possible way. I know it will be well done... it's nothing to do with me."