Solo could've been a very special film. If they'd have just cast the right guy.
I've been thinking about this, and I don't know that's true. I personally think it's unhealthy to hold nostalgia is some precious space, that said, I think the movie looks cool and fun and I'm excited for it... but I don't NEED it.
Most of the derision seems to come from the casting, but even with somebody else in the role-- it's still the same script, still the same swapped directors. Of all the problems this production has had, the casting of the lead is just one, and for many people it's not an issue at all.
I don't think it would be possible for any actor to be cast that would universally be accepted. Han Solo is iconic-- and unlike say James Bond or Batman, he's always been played by one guy. So no matter what, this film had an immediate uphill battle.
Again, I'm excited for it, but at the end of the day, I question the decision to make it at all. To go in from step one knowing at least half of the fanbase would hate the idea of recasting, and another quarter wouldn't like WHO was cast, I don't think the misstep was casting Aiden.
The misstep was deciding we needed this story at all. With all the possible stories and spin-offs you could tell, this seems like the most obviously risky one to do.