Before the Disney era began, George Lucas was busy sketching, outlining, and even drafting early scripts for a fresh Star Wars trilogy. Those notes, concepts, and concept‑art pieces give us a rare glimpse into what could have been. Below we dive into the ten most tantalizing ideas george had tucked away, each one a glimpse at an alternate galaxy far, far away.
10 ideas george: The Vision Unveiled
10 Luke Would Be A Father
Back in 1983, a casually‑dropped line by Mark Hamill hinted at Lucas’ secret plan: Luke Skywalker would eventually become a father. Hamill originally expected filming to start around the year 2000, and while the Disney‑produced Episode VII took far longer to appear, Lucas never abandoned the notion that Luke’s lineage mattered.
Lucas repeatedly emphasized that his sequel trilogy would revolve around Darth Vader’s grandchildren, a phrase that meant not only Leia’s offspring but also Luke’s. In a CBS interview, Lucas described the saga as less about starships and more about a sprawling family drama, calling it “a soap opera” centered on intergenerational conflict.
When Disney’s version arrived, Lucas was visibly displeased. He told Vanity Fair that he asked J.J. Abrams, “What happened to Darth Vader’s grandchildren?” – a question that underscored his lingering frustration that his family‑centric ideas were sidelined.
9 Darth Talon Corrupts Sam Solo
The villain Lucas envisioned for his new saga emerged from the pages of a Star Wars comic: a red‑skinned alien named Darth Talon. Her mission? To seduce and lead Han Solo’s son, Sam, down the dark side.
In Lucas’ early script, Sam was not a fledgling Sith; he was a charismatic, Han‑like youngster, complete with the same jacket and blaster. Michael Arndt described him as “pure charisma,” and the artwork mirrors that youthful swagger.
Darth Talon was meant to be a femme fatale with a voice reminiscent of Lauren Bacall. Lucas even tried to weave her into a LucasArts video game, insisting the character speak with that classic 1940s allure, an anecdote that has become legend among the developers.
8 A Teenage Hero Named Kira
Lucas wanted his new heroes to be children – or at least very young teens – a detail J.J. Abrams confirmed before Disney scrapped it. The centerpiece of this youth‑driven narrative was a teenage Jedi named Kira, a scavenger‑turned‑gear‑head who would later evolve into what Disney released as Rey.
While Abrams suggested the Skywalker kids would be in their twenties, Lucas clarified that only the Skywalker offspring would be that age, leaving Kira as an outsider, not a Skywalker. Michael Arndt reinforced this, describing Kira as the ultimate disenfranchised figure, a fierce teen navigating the chaos of the Force.
This contrast explains why Lucas could claim both that the Skywalkers were adults and that the story’s core protagonist was a teenage outsider – Kira fit neither family tree, allowing her to embody the raw, rebellious spirit Lucas envisioned.
7 Luke Would Be Modeled On Colonel Kurtz
In Lucas’ take on Episode VII, the meeting between Kira and Luke would echo the dark, introspective tone of Apocalypse Now’s Colonel Kurtz. Phil Szostak, author of *The Art of The Last Jedi*, revealed that Lucas intended Luke to be an even more brooding figure than the one Disney presented.
Lucas approved a design for Luke’s hermitage: a golden‑bell‑shaped temple perched on a cliff’s edge, echoing the isolation and existential weight associated with Kurtz. R2‑D2, fully operational in this version, would guide Kira to the reclusive master via a comprehensive map of Jedi temples.
Michael Arndt summed up the plot succinctly: Kira’s home is destroyed, she hits the road, finds Luke, and together they take down the villains. The darker Luke would serve as a mentor who, despite his grim outlook, still lights the way for the next generation.
6 The Whills Who Control The Universe
Midichlorians sparked controversy in *The Phantom Menace*, but Lucas wasn’t about to abandon the scientific angle. Instead, he aimed to double down, introducing a microscopic race called the Whills that actually govern the Force.
Lucas described his upcoming trilogy as a dive into a “microbiotic world,” where audiences would finally meet the tiny beings feeding off the Force and steering the galaxy’s destiny. He admitted fans would likely recoil, but he believed the full story arc would justify the risk.
Had Lucas retained control, the Whills would have become a central mythos, providing a tangible, albeit unseen, explanation for the Force’s omnipresence and linking his original vision to a more concrete cosmology.
5 Felucia: The Mushroom Planet
One of the more vivid locales Lucas wanted to explore was Felucia, a planet already glimpsed in *Revenge of the Sith* and the *Clone Wars* series. In his sequel trilogy, Felucia would have taken center stage.
The world is a kaleidoscope of towering, neon‑colored mushrooms, spore‑shooting fungi, and gigantic, carnivorous puffballs capable of devouring humans whole. Its native Felucians live in harmony with the Force, cohabiting with translucent‑skinned creatures, tube worms, alien birds, and massive, legged larvae that can be ridden like horses.
While the exact plot points remain fuzzy, Pablo Hidalgo confirmed that Lucas intended to delve deeper into Felucia’s alien ecosystem, making it a crucial backdrop for the heroes’ journey.
4 Luke Trains Leia In The Ways Of The Force
Mark Hamill revealed that Lucas planned for Luke to survive until the finale of Episode IX, during which he would finally train his sister, Leia, in the Jedi arts. This revelation came after *The Last Jedi* sparked speculation about Leia’s latent abilities.
According to Hamill, Lucas wanted Leia to become a fully realized Jedi by the series’ end, with Luke acting as her mentor in the later installments. This would have marked a dramatic shift, positioning Leia as a powerful Force user who could inherit Luke’s mantle after his eventual death.
Hamill has repeatedly expressed disappointment that Disney ignored this familial arc, calling the omission a wasted opportunity to explore deeper sibling dynamics within the Skywalker saga.
3 Luke Enters Another Plane Of Existence
Lucas once described Luke’s fate after the original trilogy as “much more ethereal,” a hint that the hero would ascend beyond the typical Force ghost. He mentioned having a “tiny notebook” filled with notes on this other plane of existence as early as 1978.
Mark Hamill later echoed this, suggesting that Luke would exist on a realm beyond the physical, perhaps a higher state of consciousness, rather than simply reappearing as a spectral mentor. This concept hinted at a profound evolution of the character’s spiritual journey.
Lucas even teased the idea back in 1976, asking Hamill if he’d like to appear in Episode IX, promising a cameo where Luke would hand the lightsaber to the next hope—an implication that his role would be both symbolic and transcendental.
2 Han Solo Dies
Not every thread in Lucas’ blueprint was cut, however. According to Harrison Ford, the idea that Han Solo would meet his end was baked into the new trilogy from the start.
Ford recalled being told early on that his character would not survive the upcoming saga, a detail he welcomed as a compelling narrative hook. Lucas, who historically resisted killing off main heroes like Luke or Yoda, made an exception for Solo to satisfy Ford’s enthusiasm.
While it remains unclear whether Lucas would have actually executed Solo’s death on screen, the plan involved his son, Sam, stepping into the hero’s shoes before a tragic showdown that would finally close Han’s legendary arc.
1 An All‑Wookiee Spin‑Off Film
Lucas’ ambitions stretched beyond the nine‑film saga. In 1978, he outlined a plan for three trilogies followed by a handful of oddball projects, including a fully Wookiee‑centric film.
He imagined a movie that would focus exclusively on the towering, hairy species—nothing human, no dialogue beyond growls, reminiscent of the infamous *Star Wars Holiday Special* but with a serious, cinematic approach. He also toyed with a robot‑only feature, again devoid of human characters.
These concepts never materialized, especially after Disney’s acquisition, but they showcase the breadth of Lucas’ imagination and his willingness to explore the galaxy from wildly unconventional angles.
While we’ll never see these spin‑offs, the fragments that survived give fans a fascinating glimpse into the road not taken.