The casting of Ehrenreich, a 26-year-old Los Angeles native who previously appeared in "Blue Jasmine" and "Hail Caesar!," was revealed at the Star Wars Celebration Europe event, reported Variety.
He was greeted by John Boyega, 24, who made his Star Wars debut last year as Finn in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," which also saw Ford resuming the his old role.
Ehrenreich beat out about 3,000 actors who tried out for the role and was the first to audition.
The new Han Solo standalone film is still untitled and will be directed by The LEGO Movie's Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. The film is set to hit theaters in 2018.