George Lucas Explains Why Han Solo Did Not Shoot Greedo First

George Lucas wants to settle the controversy over the Han Solo-Greedo controversy once and for all.

In the original release of “Star Wars: A New Hope,” Solo shoots alien bounty hunter Greedo just before Greedo tries to shoot him in the Mos Eisley cantina.

However, in the special edition of the film, Greedo fires first, then Han. Thus began one of the biggest controversies in “Star Wars” history. Lucas insists that the change was for the better.

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“Han Solo was going to marry Leia, and you look back and say, ‘Should he be a cold-blooded killer?'” Lucas told the Washington Post.

“Because I was thinking mythologically. Should he be a cowboy, should he be John Wayne? And I said, ‘Yeah, he should be John Wayne,'” Lucas continued. “And when you’re John Wayne, you don’t shoot people [first]. You let them have the first shot. It’s a mythological reality that we hope our society pays attention to.”

In the same interview, Lucas also talked about his need to “divorce” himself from the “Star Wars” franchise ahead of “The Force Awakens.”

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“There is no such thing as working over someone’s shoulder,” he said. “You’re either the dictator or you’re not. And to do that would never work, so I said ‘I’m going to get divorced.’ … I knew that I couldn’t be involved. All I’d do is make them miserable. I’d make myself miserable. It would probably ruin a vision — J.J. [Abrams] has a vision, and it’s his vision.”

Lucas directed four of the installments, including the original “Star Wars,” as well as “The Phantom Menace,” “Attack of the Clones” and “Revenge of the Sith.” Richard Marquand directed one, Irvin Kershner helmed another.