Han Solo’s return in Star Wars: The Force Awakens almost looked different from the scene fans have come to know.
Concept designer Christian Alzmann, who worked on the 2015 film, shared an image of what Harrison Ford’s character might have been up to in his first Star Wars moment since the 1983 Return of the Jedi.
In the alternate scenario, Solo would have made his return to the franchise “outdrinking everyone at a cantina”, Alzmann wrote.
That scene would have echoed the moment in the 1977 A New Hope during which Solo is seen at the Mos Eisley cantina on Tatooine – which has led to the infamous “Han shot first” debate.
In the actual, final version of The Force Awakens, Solo is seen returning to the franchise by stepping onboard the Millenium Falcon along with Chewbacca and proclaiming: “Chewie, we’re home.”
Despite Solo’s death at the hands of his son Kylo Ren in The Force Awakens, Ford briefly reprised the role in the 2019 The Rise of Skywalker.
Ford has previously said he was startled when asked to return as Solo for the final film in the Skywalker saga.
“When [director JJ Abrams] asked me to do it, I said, ‘Are you kidding? I’m dead!’ “ Ford told USA Today in February this year.
“He said, ‘Sorta dead. You can do this.’ He hadn’t written anything at that time. But he said, ‘This is going to be great.’ So I said okay.
“If JJ asked you do something, you’d probably do it too. He’s a very persuasive guy.”
