Chewbacca actor Joonas Suotamo says he didn’t believe his character’s fake death in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. During the main group’s mission to Pasaana, Chewie is captured by the First Order and taken aboard a transport. In an effort to save the Wookiee, Rey uses the Force to bring the ship back to the planet’s surface. However, Kylo Ren wrestles for control of the transport with Rey, forcing Rey to exert herself more than she ever has before. Tapping into her strength, Rey accidentally fires Force lightning, destroying the transport and seemingly killing one of her best friends.
Though it’s presented as a shocking moment in the film, audiences barely had an opportunity to grieve Chewbacca’s (apparent) death. Mere moments after the transport scene, it’s revealed Chewie was on another ship all along and is still alive. Fans were relieved to see the beloved Wookiee had avoided a grisly fate, and there were probably those who thought Chewie wasn’t so lucky. For his part, Suotamo always knew Chewie hadn’t met his end.
Speaking with THR about his years-long journey playing Chewbacca over the course of four Star Wars films in the Disney era, Suotamo shared his reaction to Chewie’s “death” scene when reading the script. While the actor always had faith, his wife wasn’t so sure:
The Pasaana sequence serves as one of Rise of Skywalker’s few teases concerning Rey’s true heritage, illustrating the dark side is in her blood and she can be a danger to those around her if she loses control. That aspect of the scene was effective, but some had issues with director J.J. Abrams arguably taking the easy way out, skirting around the real, serious consequences of Rey’s actions. Most were probably happy Chewbacca survived the saga, though a case can be made this scene would have been more impactful if the Wookiee’s death was permanent. The Rise of Skywalker overuses the fake death trope, with Chewie being the most notable example, undercutting what might have been very poignant scenes.
“I was pretty shocked, but I was confident Chewie would pull through. I did get some worried looks from my wife at that point.”
It’s easy to understand why Suotamo would be shocked reading over the script, but fans who followed the Rise of Skywalker marketing campaign knew Chewie’s death wasn’t going to stick. Trailers for the film included a scene where the Wookiee flies the Millennium Falcon alongside his old friend Lando Calrissian, essentially spoiling the movie’s twist. Obviously, there are several instances of trailers including shots not featured in the finished product (including The Rise of Skywalker), but that was a very prominent image that stuck out in the eyes of audiences. Perhaps if Abrams and company wanted to give the illusion Chewie was going to die, they could have used something different in the trailers.
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Source: THR
