The production for Star Wars: A New Hope was far from smooth, with the original script ending up drastically different from the final cut. Of course, everything worked out for the best, with A New Hope now revered as an iconic classic in the eyes of many. But still, it's interesting to look back and wonder what could have been -- and the deleted scenes for the original Star Wars offer a glimpse, providing an entirely different introduction to Luke Skywalker.
The thought of A New Hope's opening being any different is a difficult one. Starting with the iconic Star Destroyer chase, the movie follows R2-D2 and C-3PO for a decently long time, all up until Luke is introduced at the Lars Homestead. And all of it feels natural, with this overwhelming galaxy being introduced at a gradual and digestible pace. But as shown in the deleted scenes, the movie originally started with Luke right from the get-go, and the scenes work surprisingly well with setting up Luke's character.
Luke Skywalker Watched Leia's Capture
The first deleted scene cuts from Leia's ship to Tatooine, where a young Luke Skywalker is watching the battle from below. He stands with a droid that tries to move but ends up malfunctioning and combusting in flames, setting up Luke's need for new droids later on. He then hops in his landspeeder and heads to the first notable location missing from the movie -- Tosche Station.
This small power station and repair shop sits in the middle of the desert all alone and has been brought up numerous times in the Star Wars franchise. In the theatrical release of A New Hope, Luke says, "I was going into Tosche Station to pick up some power converters!" to Uncle Owen. But the station was never actually seen until The Book of Boba Fett, where Boba himself visits the quaint little store. Originally, Star Wars was meant to kick things off here, with Luke meeting up with his best friend Biggs Darklighter.
Biggs Was Once a Key Star Wars Character
In the Star Wars theatrical release, Biggs is only mentioned by name on Tatooine. For a first-time viewer, it's a name that's easy to forget with everything going on; so when Luke reunites with Biggs at the Yavin IV Rebel base, it can feel rather strange to see him excited with some random guy. But the deleted scenes set up their chemistry far better, giving Biggs a surprisingly large role in starting Luke's adventure.
As Biggs and Luke talk, he mentions, "the Rebellion's a long way from here," and refers to Luke being the best pilot around. Biggs then describes joining the fight, saying, "I'm not gonna wait around for the Empire to draft me into service. The Rebellion is spreading, and I want to be on the side I believe in." They even talk about Luke staying to work on Owen's farm and that the Empire might one day take it over. And while this conversation may last a little too long for an opening, it perfectly sets up everything Luke does in the future.
From a movie-making perspective, it's understandable why these scenes were cut, as they would bring the action-packed opening to a sudden halt. But still, it's fascinating to see Luke's mindset before reaching the homestead, and it actually makes his sudden departure from Tatooine and his willingness to join the Rebellion feel all the more natural.