Star Wars: How The Wookiee Planet Concept In Return Of The Jedi Got Replaced By Ewoks

Lucasfilm

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Ewoks are an interesting thing in the history of a galaxy far, far away. They made their debut in 1983's "Return of the Jedi," which gave "Star Wars" an ending (for a while, anyway). The furry, primitive little aliens occupied the forest moon of Endor, ultimately helping the Rebellion topple the Empire. In the ultimate battle of good vs. evil, the Ewoks ended up being hugely important to the outcome.

Some people absolutely love Ewoks. Others feel they're a little childish and silly. However one feels about them, they weren't originally supposed to be part of the proceedings. Originally, franchise creator George Lucas envisioned a planet of Wookiees in "Return of the Jedi." So, why did that change? Well, because Wookiees had already been established as too sophisticated. Han Solo's trusted pal Chewbacca was barely in the first script for "Star Wars" but ended up being a major character.

In the 1983 documentary "From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga," Lucas explained that Chewbacca's evolution throughout the trilogy made it difficult to enact his plan for a Wookiee planet. Here's what he had to say about it:

"When I came to the third film, and I could actually do the battle, I couldn't use Wookiees because I'd established Chewbacca as being a relatively sophisticated creature. [...] He's not the primitive that he was in the first screenplay."

The infamous "Star Wars Holiday Special" marked Boba Fett's first on screen appearance in the franchise, but it also put Chewie at the center of the action, paying a visit to his home planet of Kashyyyk. Though the special isn't canon, it established where Wookiees come from and helped make it harder for Lucas to use them in "Return of the Jedi." That's how we got Ewoks.

Lucasfilm

"Instead of making them incredibly tall the way Wookiees are, I'd make them incredibly short [...] and give them short fur instead of long fur," George Lucas added, further explaining how he came up with the Ewoks in "From Star Wars to Jedi."

What's interesting is that Lucas, director Richard Marquand, and writer Lawrence Kasdan didn't just try to make another big, furry creature to stand in for the Wookiees. Pre-production on "Return of the Jedi" was hamstrung by a very late script, it's worth mentioning. Instead, as Lucas explained, he pretty much made Ewoks into the opposite of Wookiees in almost every way. Other than both being native to forest-filled planets and having bodies covered in fur, they're rather different creatures.

Also of note: The Ewoks ended up being the subject of a high-profile court case in the 1990s. Lucas, at the time, had to testify that he came up with the Ewoks, with screenwriter Dean Preston also saying he invented the creatures in a script called "Space Pets," per CBC. During the proceedings, Lucas was asked if Ewoks and Wookiees were the same. To which he replied, "I'm not saying they're the same. They evolved from Wookiees."

While Lucas doesn't seem to literally mean that there is a biological evolutionary link between them, he's saying, creatively, they were linked together because the story for "Return of the Jedi" necessitated the creation of the Ewoks, who stood in for the Wookiees. Preston lost the court case, ultimately.

Interestingly enough, for as much as Ewoks are talked about within the fandom, the species is never actually named on screen in the Skywalker Saga. Not once. That speaks volumes about how much "Star Wars" evolved beyond the silver screen.

Lucasfilm

It's easy enough to see why some fans don't love Ewoks. Even Warwick Davis, who plays Wicket, understands why some fans have problems with Ewoks. "The Empire Strikes Back," still oft-regarded as the best movie in the entire saga, was a more serious affair. The Ewoks undoubtedly lightened the tone a bit, like it or not. Then again, they are referred to unofficially by certain fans as "murder bears" for a good reason.

Behind the scenes on "Return of the Jedi" was less stressful than the first two "Star Wars" movies, and it largely shows on screen. In "From Star Wars to Jedi," there is a moment captured between George Lucas and Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, in which Lucas is explaining to the actor how he sees the Ewoks between takes. It goes a long way in explaining Lucas' grand vision:

"You've got a sense of the fact that it's these little funny teddy bears that could destroy the Empire. In a fairy tale, it's always being nice to the little bunny rabbit on the side of the road that gives you the magic that makes you go and rescue the princess from the evil witch."

Lucas always said "Star Wars" was for kids, and it was always fantastical. The Ewoks would prove to be rather popular, particularly with younger fans. Two TV movies, 1984's "Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure" and 1985's "Ewoks: The Battle for Endor," were eventually produced, both airing on ABC. There was even a short-lived "Star Wars" animated show titled "Ewoks," which aired two seasons from 1985 to 1986, also on ABC.

You can grab "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi" on 4K, Blu-ray, or DVD from Amazon.