Luke looks different in an early piece of concept art for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In 2015, Disney and Lucasfilm kicked off the Star Wars sequel trilogy via the J.J. Abrams movie. Fans were excited about the movies in the Skywalker saga, especially as it meant that they’d be reuniting with the franchise’s legacy characters. That said, Luke’s absence in the project’s marketing campaign was a cause of concern for the public as they worried that something might have happened to the legendary Jedi.
The promotional campaign was indicative of Luke’s role in The Force Awakens. For the most part of the movie, the fan-favorite character was nowhere to be found. While Han Solo and Leia Organa factored in the story, the narrative was focused on introducing Star Wars‘ new players like Rey, Finn, Poe, and Kylo Ren. It wasn’t until the very end of the movie that everyone got their first glimpse of Luke since Return of the Jedi. From there, the film ends, with viewers having to wait for Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi to learn about what happened to him.
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Now, an early piece of concept art for The Force Awakens gives fans a look at what Luke Skywalker would’ve looked like in the film and the sequel trilogy. The illustration is shared by artist Christian Alzmann on his official Instagram account. In his caption, he revealed that the piece created in 2013 was inspired by Apocalypse Now‘s Col. Kurtz. Check it below:
Given the timeframe, this concept art was created during the conception of The Force Awakens‘ script after Abrams was confirmed to direct the project at the beginning of the year. Luke’s robe is very much reminiscent of Obi-Wan Kenobi‘s (Sir Alec Guinness) from the original Star Wars movie which makes sense considering their similar circumstances – albeit different motivations. Ultimately, Lucasfilm went with a grayish outer robe than his first Force mentor. Obviously, the most glaring difference between this illustration and what ended up on the big screen is the Jedi’s hair. Instead of the longer, unkept mane he was sporting when Rey found him in Ahch-To, he’s wearing it in a bun. This harkens back to George Lucas mining inspiration from Akira Kurosawa’s work and samurai culture in general for his sci-fantasy franchise.
In hindsight, Luke’s appearance in Star Wars: The Force Awakens worked for the better, especially given how he initially reacted to Rey’s arrival in his sanctuary. His demeanor and overall appearance gave fans an idea that he’s not the Luke they’ve seen before as he suffered failures and setbacks since he and the Rebellion defeated the Empire. His appearance in said fan-art gives the impression of a Jedi only in hiding instead of a troubled Force-user who no longer believes in the Order’s cause and teachings.
Source: Christian Alzmann