Warning: This article contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker featured a number of great reprisals like the return of Ian McDiarmid as Emperor Palpatine and the return of Billy Dee Williams as the ever suave Lando Calrissian.
However, one of the most shocking returns in the movie came from Harrison Ford who reprised his role as Han Solo in a pivotal scene with his wayward son, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver).
Speaking in an interview with VanityFair,The Rise of Skywalker director J.J. Abrams discusses Han Solo's return, explaining why he had been convinced that the suave smuggler was meant to return in Episode IX.
"We had a meeting and talked about what it would be," Abrams told the entertainment news outlet, "Harrison, who is one of the great people ever, and incredibly thoughtful about everything that he does, all he ever wants is to understand the utility of the character. ‘What is my role?'
According to Abrams, Ford had been willing to return once he got the script for his scenes in The Rise of Skywalker.
"It was about sitting with him and explaining what our intention was. We talked about it for quite a while, I sent him the pages. He got it, and of course, as you can see, he was wonderful," the director explained.
It's interesting to see how easy Abrams managed to get Ford to return in The Rise of Skywalker. The Star Wars actor has never been really fond of his time in the franchise. Ford's been notoriously known for wanting to end his time in Star Wars, hoping to see Han Solo killed off. The actor finally got what he wanted in Star Wars: The Force Awakens – a heartbreaking moment for fans in the franchise. Seeing him return to Episode IX sounds like a bit of a miracle.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is currently screening in cinemas.
Read: Are the Darth Maul Actors Teasing an Appearance in The Mandalorian Season 2?
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!
Star Wars: Episode IX