Anna Daniels
With fans angry that the Wookiee was excluded from the initial awards ceremony, there was plenty of explanation offered from various sources to explain away the omission over the years. In January 2019, George Lucas explained, “Chewbacca wasn’t given a medal because medals don’t really mean much to Wookiees. They don’t really put too much credence in them. They have different kinds of ceremonies… Chewbacca was in fact given a great prize and honor during a ceremony with his own people. The whole contingent from the Rebel Alliance went to Chewbacca’s people and participated in a very large celebration. It was an honor for the entire Wookiee race.” (via MovieWeb)
Okay, George, fair enough. Back in 2015, though, Mayhew offered up his own cheeky possible explanations as to why Chewie was snubbed. “I think it was one of two reasons,” Mayhew said. “One, they didn’t have enough money to buy me a medal. Or two, Carrie couldn’t reach my neck, and it was probably too expensive to build a little step so that I could step down or she could step up and give me the medal.” (via CinemaBlend)
Star Wars lore also went back and forth a little over the years, with some suggesting perhaps Chewie had refused the medal in keeping with Lucas’ explanation, while others offered he had been given one more privately. While both plausible explanations, it hasn’t stopped fans from calling for the moment to appear on the big screen. It may have taken 42 years, but fans finally got to see the moment when Chewie’s part in defeating the Dark Side — in whatever form it presented itself — was properly recognized.
Written by: Looper
