Mark Hamill Pitched George Lucas The Idea To Have Boba Fett Revealed As Luke Skywalker's Mother
Boba Fett may have been a cool character in the novels, comics, video games, and other properties that made up the Star Wars Expanded Universe (now known as Star Wars Legends). But in the original Star Wars trilogy? The guy sucks. Sure, Fett has a nice design, a jet pack, and a sleek helmet, and those things can go a long way. But he doesn't really do much in the movies themselves, and his infamous end in the sarlacc pit is one of the most undignified ways to go out for anyone in the entire Star Wars saga.
As it turns out, actor Mark Hamill had a wild idea that could have made the character considerably more interesting: Hamill wanted Boba Fett as Luke Skywalker's mother. Read his explanation below.
Gun-toting bounty hunter Boba Fett appeared in films like The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, where he worked for Jabba the Hutt and famously encased Han Solo in carbonite. But if Mark Hamill had his way, fans would be talking about Fett as much more than just a guy with a cool costume who did some neat stuff in some books that aren't in canon anymore. Hamill says he pitched the idea to George Lucas about Boba Fett as Luke Skywalker's mother, in the hopes of potentially topping the shocking "I am your father" reveal from Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back.
I once suggested it to George as the only way we could top Vader being my father. I envisioned her as a double-agent working clandestinely for the Rebels. SPOILER ALERT: He didn't like my idea.
— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) November 16, 2018
Hamill's idea would have made the Star Wars universe even smaller than it already is – another one of these characters is related to each other?! – but I have to admit, I kinda like where his head's at with this one.
Watch all of Boba Fett's scenes from the original trilogy thinking about "him" as a woman disguising her voice. It adds a different level of intimacy to all of the conversations between Fett and Vader (who, remember, would be lovers in this scenario). A late reveal like that in Return of the Jedi would have given audiences the fascinating opportunity to rewatch the trilogy with Fett's true identity in mind, and the chance to learn about why this woman would have turned into a bounty hunter could have provided some of the characterization that the movie version of Fett is sorely lacking in his current iteration.
What do you think?