Peter Mayhew expected to make more Star Wars films a few years after Jedi release

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Peter Mayhew is the man responsible for bringing Chewbacca to life in the original “Star Wars” trilogy. Before he could create CGI on any creature one could dream of, George Lucas had to find someone who could actually embody the imposing Wookiee. Mayhew made it work, and he plays a huge role in the success of these films. But after 1983’s “Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi” closed the door on those films, the “Star Wars” property left the big screen for years. Mayhew, however, had expected him to return as Chewie sooner rather than later.

In the March 1985 issue of Starlog, just a few years after “Return of the Jedi” hit theaters, Mayhew revealed that Lucas was already planning other films. Lucas finally returned to a galaxy far, far away with “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” in 1999, kicking off the prequel trilogy and a whole new era for the franchise. Either way, Mayhew expected things to turn out much differently. Here’s what he told Starlog at the time:

“When we were on ‘Jedi,’ I said to George, ‘What more?’ He said: “There will be more, but given that there are about 20 main characters in ‘Jedi,’ it’s not going to be easy. We have to sort out the scripts, the production and everything else. He also said he wanted to do other things. Whatever happens, there will be a ready-made market in two or three years for Star Wars films. »

Famously, the first “Star Wars” film was eventually given the subtitle “Episode IV – A New Hope.” This wasn’t the case when he arrived in 1977, but the whole of Episode IV still implied that there were before stories and maybe after stories.

Mayhew’s belief that the “Star Wars” films would return in just a few years was not unfounded. It simply took Lucas a lot longer to figure them out than the actor was led to believe. Before that, however, Lucas directed the “Star Wars Special Editions” in 1997, which brought the original trilogy back to theaters, albeit with many changes, some more controversial than others. But they were hugely successful at the box office, which prepared the world for the prequel trilogy.

Mayhew had to wait his turn, because Chewbacca didn’t make his appearance until 2005’s “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith,” which ended the prequel trilogy. After that, he would once again enter a long waiting period before being asked to reprise the Chewie costume for 2015’s “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens,” which marked a major moment in pop culture history. When Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012, it also brought the “Star Wars” film series back from the dead with the promise that it would be around for good.

Mayhew’s return as Chewbacca alongside Harrison Ford’s Han Solo is one of the main reasons the film resonated so much. “Chewie, We’re Home” is still capable of making adults cry. Additionally, this film also saw Mayhew pass the torch to Joonas Suotamo, who has since taken over the role of Chewbacca.

You can grab “Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi” in 4K, Blu-ray or DVD on Amazon.