Harrison Ford has played some of the most iconic characters in cinematic history with Indiana Jones and Han Solo. The actor imbued the characters with great charm and intensity that intrigued audiences. Ford became a household name as the lead in two big franchises and made the characters his own.
One of the main arcs in the original Star Wars trilogy was the developing romance between Princess Leia and Han Solo. In Empire Strikes Back, the Princess finally professes her love for Han, and he responds with an unconventional answer. Ford intervened and prevented George Lucas from ruining the iconic moment with a contrived dialogue.
Harrison Ford Avoided a Contrived George Lucas Treatment On The Empire Strikes Back
The first Star Wars film was a cultural phenomenon that changed the whole landscape of blockbuster filmmaking. George Lucas‘ original vision and the execution of a wonderful world enthralled audiences. They fell in love with Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford’s iconic roles as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo respectively.
With the first film becoming a huge hit, Lucas had enormous pressure to deliver with its sequel. Evolving the characters also became a priority for the creator along with the eventual duel between Luke and Darth Vader. The Empire Strikes Back had many iconic moments including the scene where Princess Leia expresses her love for Han.
In an interview with Jon Favreau, Ford revealed that he did not want Han Solo to give a contrived and conventional answer to Leia’s love for him. While Lucas was leaning towards a standard “I love you too”, the Indiana Jones star felt it was a lost opportunity for the character. Han Solo is never known to be overtly emotional and sentimental and he wanted his reply to reflect how badass he is. Ford said (via Instagram),
What’s the last thing a woman wants to hear when she says I love you. She says ‘I love you’ and I say ‘I know’. George had artfully contrived for Han Solo to say ‘I love you too’. I thought it was a lost opportunity.
This character never behaved so unabashedly emotional and conventional before and I thought ‘Are we pissing away this great opportunity for the character?’ You want your badasses to be a badass, you want to them to go down the way they lived.
Instead of the conventional reply, Han Solo pulls off an unexpected “I know”, which makes the scene a lot better. It has become one of the most memorable scenes in Star Wars history and Ford knew how to make the scene work stunningly. The Empire Strikes Back is arguably considered the best entry in the franchise.
Harrison Ford Joked About What It Took For Him To Play Red Hulk In Captain America 4
Harrison Ford is set to make his MCU debut in Captain America: Brave New World. He will be playing Thaddeus Ross who was previously played by the late William Hurt. The first trailer teased that Ross will be turning into the Red Hulk. In an interview with Variety, Ford joked that to do the motion capture for the character, it took him not caring and being an idiot for money.
On a serious note, the actor stated that he had to do things that were not conventional but it was a fun experience for him. He is also happy at the amazing response that the first trailer got. Ford said,
What did it take? It took not caring. It took being an idiot for money, which I’ve done before. I don’t mean to disparage it. I’m just saying you have to do certain things that normally your mother would not want you to do — or your acting coach if you had one. But it’s fun, and I enjoyed it. I had a great time, and I’m delighted at the response that we got with the trailer.
Captain America: Brave New World will see the rise of Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson as the new Captain America and the responsibilities of carrying such a mantle. In addition to Ford and Mackie, the film will also star Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Xosha Roquemore, Carl Lumbly, Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, and Tim Blake Nelson. Captain America: Brave New World will hit theatres on February 14, 2025.
Fans can watch The Empire Strikes Back on Disney+.
