Luke Skywalkeralmost had a very different entrance inStar Wars: The Force Awakens, and that original plan had interesting implications for theStar Warssequel trilogy. Luke’s arc in the sequel movies was highly controversial and is one of the most commonly referenced complaints regardingissues with the sequel trilogy. Part of that was due to Luke’s absence inThe Force Awakensuntil the very end of the movie and his fall from grace sinceReturn of the Jedi.
Rather than a heroic Jedi full of hope, in the sequels,Star Wars: The Last Jediespecially, Luke was depicted as a bitter man who no longer believed in the galaxy or the Jedi. This was difficult for many viewers to accept, as Luke had previously been one ofStar Wars’best charactersand perhaps the most optimistic, passionate Jedi inStar Wars’movies and TV shows. This arc wasn’t exactly the plan all along, though.Mark Hamill himself confirmed Luke’s first shot inThe Force Awakenswas quite different, suggesting the sequels considered a different approach at one point.
The Force Awakens Originally Opened With A Shocking Luke Skywalker Shot
Luke Skywalker wasn’t actually shown inThe Force Awakensuntil the very end of the movie, when Rey tracked him down on Ahch-To, although he was one of the main topics of conversation throughout the story. This minimal appearance of one ofStar Wars’greatest heroes has been criticized extensively, including by Mark Hamill, but it evidently was not always the plan. According toBirth Movies Death, in a 2016 interview withThe Sun, Hamill explained:
“I can tell you now that in the original opening shot of 7, the first thing that came into frame was a hand with a lightsaber, a severed hand that enters the atmosphere, and then the hand and bone burns away and goes sticking into the surface of Jakku…and this alien hand comes in, don’t know if it was Maz, but it was an alien hand who takes the lightsaber away, and then the movie proceeds as you see it.”
Although Hamill didn’t say so explicitly,this shot was almost certainly meant to be Luke Skywalker’s severed hand and the iconic blue Skywalker lightsaber.
InThe Empire Strikes Back, the iconic scene in which Darth Vader reveals that he is Luke Skywalker’s father also sees Luke’s hand sliced off. Along with Luke’s severed hand, the blue lightsaber that once belonged to Anakin Skywalker goes tumbling down a reactor shaft to an unknown location. It’s safe to assume that this original concept forThe Force Awakenswould have confirmed that the saber ended up landing on Jakku.
Anakin Skywalker’s 6 Lightsabers Explained
Anakin Skywalker’s classic blue lightsaber may have become iconic in the franchise, but Anakin/Vader used many other lightsabers in Star Wars.
The Force Awakens' Original Opening Shot Set Rey Up As Heir To The Skywalker Legacy
Not only would this change have meant a Luke Skywalker appearance (kind of) at the beginning ofThe Force Awakens, but it also would have explained how Maz Kanata acquired the Skywalker lightsaber and set up Rey’s future as part of the Skywalker line. InThe Force Awakens, Maz Kanata bewilderingly has the lightsaber that was long thought lost. Based on Hamill’s commentary, it would likely have been Maz Kanata’s hand that grabbed the saber, explaining why and how she had it.
More importantly,this opening scene would have better set up Rey’s eventual adoption of the Skywalker name. By having the lightsaber land on Jakku along with Luke’s hand, the connection between the Skywalkers, this lightsaber, and the planet would have been clearly drawn. When Rey eventually took up the lightsaber and took on the name, both would have felt more linked to her own origins. This one opening scene change inStar Wars: The Force Awakenstherefore could have addressed both a commonLuke Skywalkercomplaint and concerns about Rey’s character.
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
Cast
Star Wars: The Force Awakens takes place 30 years after the fall of the Galactic Empire. It follows Han Solo and new allies, including Finn and Rey, as they confront the rising threat of Kylo Ren and his army of Stormtroopers while seeking the elusive Luke Skywalker.
