Star Wars: The Force Awakens deleted scene shows Chewbacca ripping an arm off

Some ‘Star Wars’ fans felt a little miffed that Chewbacca got somewhat sidelined in 2015’s ultra-blockbuster ‘Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.’

However, it turns out one moment which didn’t make the final cut might have given Chewie a bit of a crowd-pleasing moment, paying some fan service in the process.

The deleted scene below – which has been available online for some time, but has only just come to widespread attention – presents an extended version of the sequence in Maz Kanata’s tavern, which would have seen the beloved Wookie come to Rey’s aid in a moment of need.

As originally shot, the scene would have gone on to show Rey (Daisy Ridley) approached by Unkar Plutt (Simon Pegg), the junkyard owner from her native Jakku, who’s none to pleased with her for stealing ‘his’ ship, the Millennium Falcon.

Chewie steps in to defend Rey, but when Plutt refuses to stand down, things get a little more physical – and the wookie tears Plutt’s arm clean off.

This, of course, is a clear nod to Han Solo’s lines to C3PO and R2-D2 in the original 1977 ‘Star Wars,’ warning that wookies are known to tear out their opponent’s arms at the sockets when beaten at holographic chess. Apparently it applies when you threaten their friends too.

As to why it was cut; perhaps it was deemed a little gratuitous and grisly. Then again, lest we consider it too nasty a moment for a ‘Star Wars’ movie, let’s not forget that all three of the original films – U-rated to this day, one and all – include scenes in which hands are lopped off.

Let’s wait and see if Chewie gets up to more such violent misbehavior in the as-yet untitled ‘Star Wars Episode VIII,’ opening in UK cinemas 15 December.

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