10 Star Wars Moments That Were Almost WAY Darker

10. Han Solo Was Going To Die (Earlier)

Return of the Jedi producer Howard Kazanjian revealed that there was an issue with whether they would get Harrison Ford back at all for Return of the Jedi. He had not signed on for a third film like Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher, which is what led to his imprisonment in carbonite at the end of Empire. He says that he suggested to George Lucas that Han needed to return, but Lucas shot this down, saying that Ford would never agree to it.

Kazanjian then described a meeting he had with David Gersh, who was the son of Phil Gersh - the agent who had handled Ford on Raiders of the Lost Ark. Kazanjian and David negotiated a deal for Ford to reprise his role (something Phil was furious about when he found out).

With Ford signed on, several ideas were thrown about - including killing Solo once and for all. This would happen early in the final act of the film in an act of self-sacrifice. However, again Lucas vetoed this. He was the king of merchandising and, as Ford himself said, Lucas could not see a future in dead Han Solo toys. Therefore, Solo lived to fight another day.