Many years before Kurt Russell in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as a Marvel böse weight made space unsafe and a few years before he became the thing from another world with the sci-fi classics and the rattling snake, the actor should be in Probably the biggest series of genre of all time. He was in the race for two iconic roles.
Kurt Russell spoke for Han Solo and Luke Skywalker in Star Wars
While we can not imagine any other actor other than Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill in the roles of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars saga, Russell was actually considered for both characters at the time. The Guardians of the Galaxy-Star in 2017 told USA Today:
I have spoken for Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. It was recorded that the recordings exist – everyone can look at it on YouTube. I had no idea what I said. Something with a Death Star and a Millenium Falcon.
Ultimately, however, Russell had to make a decision that should influence his further career:
I was about to get the role, but I had to give ABC an answer to a Western series. I asked George Lucas if he would occupy me and he said: ‘I don’t know if I want to give you one or the other role.’ I had to work, so I did the western. That was obviously the right choice (laughs).
Take a look at Kurt Russell’s star Wars promise:
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In addition to Russell, today’s Hollywood greats such as Christopher Walken, Jack Nicholson, Sylvester Stallone and Bill Murray also went into the race for Han Solo before the role went to Harrison Ford. Whether Russell would actually have had her nose in front of Ford remains only an exciting mind game today.
Also interesting:
Kurt Russell was not only empty at Star Wars
However, as our sister side Sensaciné writes, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker were not the only big roles that Russell just went through the rags during his career. He was also considered for the role of the dark knight in Joel Schumacher Batman Forever, the Commissioner Gordon in Christopher Nolans Batman Begins and the role of paleontologist Alan Grant in Steven Spielbergs Jurassic Park.
Russell recorded his last major role in the Monarch series: Legacy of Monsters. The first season of the monster spectacle streams at Apple TV+.
A thematically similar article has been published on our sister page Sensaciné.