Lucas and De Palma auditioned actors together for Star Wars and Carrie, producing overlapping candidates.
John Travolta, William Cat, Robby Benson, Kurt Russell, and Charles Martin Smith are among the discussed Luke possibilities.
Andrew Stevens is said to have competed with Hamill for both The Oregon Trail and Star Wars.
Karen Allen, Amy Irving, Cindy Williams, Linda Pearl, and Joe Foster are discussed as Leia possibilities, with uncertainty around some claims.
Russell is said to have auditioned for both Luke and Han because his age placed him between the roles.
Jack Nicholson is an intriguing Han thought experiment, while James Kahn and Al Pacino later claimed to have declined the role.
Richard Dreyfuss was reportedly considered for the voice of one of the droids.
The lead actor from many Kurosawa films reportedly declined the mentor role because he feared it would diminish samurai cinema.
Orson Welles was considered for Vader’s voice but rejected as too recognizable; James Earl Jones was used without an initial screen credit.
Peter Mayhew and David Prowse were offered a choice between Chewbacca and physical Vader and selected the good and bad roles respectively.

Mark Harmon or young Kurt Russell as Luke are the principal new suggestions.

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 01:11:42Read transcript

Mark Harmon is proposed as a handsome, athletic Luke coming out of UCLA.
A younger Kurt Russell is ultimately preferred as a plausible but slightly cooler Luke.

The research block covers an early Han design, Lucas’s directing style, crew resistance, practical discomfort, the lost cut, and studio notes.

In the discussion (7)

Approx. transcript time · 01:12:44Read transcript

An early script version made Han Solo a large green-skinned monster with gills.
Carrie Fisher recalled that Lucas gave little actor direction beyond faster or more intense.
The British crew reportedly disliked Lucas enough to stop promptly at quitting time even in the middle of a setup.
Hamill’s line about not seeing through the helmet was retained because he actually could not see.
The Chewbacca suit became foul after remaining wet following the trash-compactor sequence.
An early multi-hour assembly contained much more of Luke on Tatooine before later editors substantially tightened it.
Studio executives wanted Chewbacca to wear shorts, a note the panel considers disastrous.

Coincidence, military competence, continuity, grief, Obi-Wan’s sacrifice, and the Death Star strategy drive a long nitpick section.

In the discussion (11)

Approx. transcript time · 01:25:22Read transcript

The escape pod carrying both droids lands improbably close to Luke, possibly through the Force.
The Empire declines to destroy an empty pod despite detecting it, allowing the plans to escape.
The possibility that R2-D2 is Force-sensitive is raised to explain repeated favorable outcomes.
Stormtroopers fail to inspect the Falcon effectively and repeatedly miss exposed targets at close range.
The mechanics of mapping and navigating a vast galaxy are questioned and answered only with hyperspace and existing maps.
The princess's white outfit stays too clean after the garbage dump and fighting.
The mentor's claim that he never had any droids conflicts with later-created prequel continuity.
The panel debates whether later continuity may be used to judge a 1977 movie whose mythology was not fully fixed.
Leia, Luke, and the others recover almost instantly from planetary destruction, burned relatives, and the mentor’s death.
The mentor’s decision to accept death remains unclear because the Falcon crew might have escaped anyway.
Luke trusts a spiritual force learned days earlier enough to switch off targeting equipment during the galaxy’s decisive shot.

The section asks about the gold protocol droid’s design, the Wookie’s body, and Halloween uniformity.

In the discussion (3)

Approx. transcript time · 01:41:43Read transcript

The gold protocol droid’s shape is asked to resemble an Oscar, though the Metropolis robot is cited as the closer model.
The panel asks whether the Wookie has genitalia and how he goes to the bathroom.
Halloween 1978 is proposed as a peak for many people wearing the same costume.