“Chewie… we’re home.” So says Han Solo in what quickly became one of the most frequently quoted lines of Star Wars: The Force Awakens both before and since the film’s release. But while Han’s boarding of the Millennium Falcon remains among the most nostalgic moments in a film that’s hardly lacking in that department, some newly shared concept art shows us how the smuggler could’ve been introduced in a very different manner.
The image comes courtesy of Lucasfilm artist Christian Alzmann, who explained via Instagram that the artwork shows how we might’ve met Han in The Force Awakens, adding that the scene would’ve featured Solo “Out-drinking everyone at a cantina.” Sure enough, Harrison Ford’s character is sat between two aliens who are out for the count, though the man himself doesn’t look in the best state, either.
In a reply to this post, Alzmann claimed to have just realized that not only is Han’s coat in the image reminiscent of Rick Deckard’s outfit in Blade Runner, but that the drinking contest also echoes a similar scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark, concluding his comment with the observation that “We’re all a product of our influences.”
Funnily enough, Ford has now reprised all three of his celebrated roles in Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Blade Runner for late-period sequels, and the possibility remains that the actor may play Indy one more time for an upcoming fifth installment in the series. As for whether Ford may play Solo again, the star has made it clear on multiple occasions that he was happy to see the end of Han with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but we’ll find out if Star Wars: Episode IX has an unlikely comeback lined up when the film hits theaters on December 20th, 2019.
