Mark Hamill confirms he seriously wanted Boba Fett to be Luke Skywalker’s mum
Hamill also thought that Fett should be a secret rebel agent
If you’re a Star Wars fan or have been plugged into the cultural zeitgeist at all in the past 40 years there’s a fair chance you’ll know Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker’s father.
And his mother? Not Padmé Amidala.
At least she wouldn’t be if Skywalker actor Mark Hamill had his way. Turns out Hamill actually wanted bounty hunter Boba Fett to be his mum – and even pitched the idea to George Lucas.
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Speaking on Tatooine Sons: A Star Wars Podcast, Hamill said that before knowing Leia was his character’s sister he suggested to the Star Wars Boss that the jetpack-wearing bounty hunter introduced in Empire Strikes Back could have birthed Luke.
“I have always been more than willing to generously share my many, many terrible ideas in the off-chance we might stumble across one that could actually be useful," he further explained on Twitter. “At the time, I didn't even know Leia was my sister”.
Hamill also suggested that Fett could have been a double agent, a secret rebel hero who could be unveiled in Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Sure, this wouldn’t explain how Vader couldn’t sense the mother to his children was close, but it would undoubtedly be a surprise.
Sadly, Fett was never unveiled as a rebel operative and Hamill’s pitch was rejected. However, Fett still enjoyed a role in Return of the Jedi: nudged into the Sarlacc pit by a near-blind Han Solo. That’s just as good a part, right guys?
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Authors
Thomas is Digital editor at BBC Science Focus. Writing about everything from cosmology to anthropology, he specialises in the latest psychology, health and neuroscience discoveries. Thomas has a Masters degree (distinction) in Magazine Journalism from the University of Sheffield and has written for Men’s Health, Vice and Radio Times. He has been shortlisted as the New Digital Talent of the Year at the national magazine Professional Publishers Association (PPA) awards. Also working in academia, Thomas has lectured on the topic of journalism to undergraduate and postgraduate students at The University of Sheffield.