Harrison Ford confirms return as Han Solo in Star Wars Episode VII

Actor to join former co-stars Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher in Disney's forthcoming sequel – though 'it's not in the bag yet'

Harrison Ford: 'I'm looking forward to it.' Photograph: Timothy Hiatt/Getty Images

Harrison Ford has confirmed for the first time that he expects to return as sardonic space smuggler Han Solo in Disney's forthcoming new Star Wars film.

Interviewed on the red carpet in Chicago by WGN9 News while promoting his new film, the Jackie Robinson baseball biopic 42, Ford said he was looking forward to shooting the recently announced Episode VII. However, he also implied the move was not yet a done deal.

Asked if the "old gang" were likely to get back together for the new Star Wars film, Ford replied: "I think it's almost true. I'm looking forward to it … it's not in the bag yet, but I think it's happening."

The actor is the final member of the original Star Wars trio of Solo, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) to confirm talks or willingness to return to the long-running space saga. Star Trek's JJ Abrams was revealed in January as the director who will take on Star Wars Episode VII following Disney's $4.05bn (£2.7m) purchase of all rights to the series in October. 

The new film is set to arrive in cinemas in 2015, with plans to release sequels every two to three years after that, and also talk of separate spin-off films that could emerge earlier and be set within the timeline of the original trilogy. 

Toy Story 3 writer Michael Arndt is overseeing the screenplay for the debut instalment, while Disney has revealed that The Empire Strikes Back's Lawrence Kasdan and Sherlock Holmes' Simon Kinberg will write two of the standalone movies.

Entertainment Weekly reported last month that Ford might appear in a framing device as an older Han Solo in a standalone film about the wise-cracking captain of the Millennium Falcon's youthful adventures. Boba Fett and Yoda are the other characters rumoured to be getting their own outings. The spin-off movies are believed to be inspired by Marvel Studios' successful run of comic-book films set in the same thematic universe that culminated in parent group Disney's biggest box office smash of the decade in 2012, the $1.5bn superhero ensemble adventure The Avengers.