Star Wars Concept Art Shows How Han Solo Almost Returned in Force Awakens

CBR

By Sam Stone

Published Jan 28, 2019

LucasFilm Art Director Christian Alzmann shares early concept art of a scrapped introduction for Han Solo in The Force Awakens.

As one of the most beloved characters in the entire Star Wars franchise, Han Solo's return in 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens was one of the most eagerly anticipated moments in the sequel trilogy. However, it nearly unfolded much differently than what occurred in the final film.

LucasFilm Art Director Christian Alzmann posted a piece of unused concept art from the 2015 film on his Instagram account, showing a scrapped introduction for Harrison Ford's interstellar smugger. The planned return showed a bearded version of the character wearing a heavy jacket and outdrinking his companions in a dingy, dimly lit cantina.

The concept art is a clear nod to the character's debut in the 1977 original Star Wars film where Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi first met Han seated at a table in a cantina on Tatooine's Mos Eisley.

Ultimately, Han and Chewbacca's introduction in The Force Awakens had both characters run back on to the Millennium Falcon with their weapons drawn before Han proudly announced "We're home," in a clip later used to end the first trailer for the film.

While Han himself met his untimely end at the hands of his son Kylo Ren in the film, the sequel trilogy concludes this December with the currently untitled Star Wars: Episode IX.