Star Wars: A Solo Story director Ron Howard has confirmed there are no plans for a sequel, while he also cleared up some confusion about his potential involvement in The Phantom Menace.

　　Appearing on the Radio Andy show, Howard bluntly said, "There is no sequel planned now" for Solo.

　　He also reflected on his journey with the movie. Less than a year before release, Howard was brought in to direct Solo after Disney fired the original directors, Phil Lord and Chris Miller.

　　"It's amazing to be part of a Star Wars movie that suddenly seems to be kind of an underground hit. Not what you'd expect. It's been an odd, strange journey for that movie," Howard said.

　　Solo made $393 million at the global box office, which put it inside the Top 25 list for highest-grossing movies of 2018. However, it was a relative disappointment commercially compared to the other recent Star Wars spin-off movie, Rogue One, which made more than $1 billion at the global box office.

　　Alden Ehrenreich, who played the younger Han Solo in the film, is reportedly signed to a contract that could see him play the character again. Ehrenreich recently said he would return, but only if the the writers came up with the "right version."

　　Also in the interview, Howard addressed the rumors that George Lucas approached him to direct Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. He confirmed that Lucas engaged him in a conversation about it, but there was no script or a clear and concrete plan at the time. In addition to Howard, Lucas approached Back to the Future director Robert Zemeckis and Jurassic Park director Steven Spielberg for Star Wars movies, and they also said no.

　　"It was a casual conversation one day where I was mixing something up at Skywalker Ranch and he said, 'I think technology has just about reached the point when I can do the next three. Would you want to do one?' I said the same thing to George that I think that [Robert Zemeckis] and [Steven Spielberg] said. Which was, 'You should do this yourself, George.' I don't want to make too much of that, but I was flattered to be thought about it."

　　While Solo might not be getting a sequel, Disney is moving ahead with multiple new Star Wars projects, including a new film from Taika Waititi. The next Star Wars film is scheduled to come to theatres in December 2023, following a year-long delay.