Fact Check

Disney Casts Justin Bieber as Young Han Solo?

Reports that Justin Bieber has been cast in an upcoming 'Star Wars' movie as a young Han Solo are fake news.

Published April 3, 2017

Claim:
Justin Bieber has been cast as a young Han Solo in an upcomming Star Wars movie.

On 17 March 2016, the web site Stubhill News published an article positing that singer Justin Bieber had been cast as a young Han Solo in an upcoming Disney Star Wars  film:

The coveted role of young Han Solo in Disney’s new stand-alone Star Wars film has been announced. There was much media stir and speculation around the mystery of casting and the decision has left some surprised.

“We ere basically looking for an exact copy of Harrison Ford but not old,” said Disney CEO Jim Croce. “After tirelessly going through thousands of auditions, the only person worthy of such a role is Justin Bieber.”

This article was published a few days after the Hollywood Reporter reported that Disney had a "short list" of actors they were considering for the coveted role. Since then, several other legitimate web sites have published articles about the casting choices for a young Han Solo, but Justin Bieber was not mentioned in any of them.

Stubhill News is an entertainment (i.e., "fake news") web site that does not publish factual stories. Although the web site doesn't clearly state that its content is fictional, the "About" section strongly hints at the satirical nature of its articles:

According to scientists, we are the most accurate news source in at least one universe. However, our legal counsel has instructed us to inform readers that they most likely exist within a reality where Stubhill News is considered “sad tire.”

Dan Evon is a former writer for Snopes.

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