But if the stars had aligned differently, the space epic could have been Al Pacino’s followup to The Godfather if he had not turned down the role of Han Solo. In the Academy Award winner’s memoir, Sonny Boy,

In his new memoir Sonny Boy, Pacino writes that " The Godfather followed me everywhere I went and overshadowed everything I did. I was shy about it, and the world wouldn't let me be shy. I was absolutely confounded by all the commotion. After The Godfather, they would have let me play anything. They offered me the role of Han Solo in Star Wars ."

Pacino isn't the only actor who was in the running for Han Solo or turned it down. Burt Reynolds turned it down, saying he later regretted the decision. Sylvester Stallone auditioned for it, and Kurt Russell did as well--you can even watch Russell's audition tape.