Chewbacca is undeniably one of the most beloved characters in the entire Star Wars franchise. It also appears that he may be a Holochess cheater (that’s OK, no one’s perfect). At least, that’s what The Rise of Skywalker’s Joonas Suotamo has hinted at in a recent interview.
Star Wars fans know there is a storied history behind the Wookiee’s competitiveness regarding Holochess, dating back to A New Hope. In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Finn and Poe both accuse Chewbacca of skirting the rules during a round of Holochess early in the film. Though the scene ends without any official confirmation, it definitely caught fans’ eyes. So, when THR asked Joonas Suotamo about that moment, he more or less confirmed Finn and Poe’s suspicions:
Well, over the years, Chewie has found that winning at that game proves to everyone that you rule the Falcon and all its gadgets. So, it’s important to win at all costs. I’ll let that be my final word on the subject. (Laughs.)
Well, no Wookiee is perfect. This revelation certainly invites a reevaluation of Han Solo’s warning not to beat him at Holochess, though. And we can probably trust the source, since Joonas Suotamo would definitely have some insight into the inner workings of Chewbacca’s mind. He’s played the character in some capacity since The Force Awakens, when he was cast as Peter Mayhew’s body double. He took over as the lead in The Last Jedi, and also brought Chewie to life in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
The recent allegations regarding Chewie’s lack of a moral compass where Holochess is concerned may be surprising (or not) -- but they also provided a moment of levity in a film that also delivered plenty of devastation. One such scene also featured Chewbacca, as he broke down in grief over the death of General Leia. Joonas Suotamo also opened up recently about the emotional difficulty of filming that unforgettable moment. He's had plenty of interesting comments about Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
In fact, the Swedish actor hasn’t been shy about sharing his experience in the Star Wars franchise -- or about defending the films he’s been a part of. He’s spoken to how given interviews where he’s revealed behind-the-scenes tidbits about filming with stars like Harrison Ford. And at the height of the Rise of Skywalker backlash, he took to Twitter to call out the “toxic” fandom.
Though he’s one of the Star Wars franchise’s more recent recruits, he has made sure to pay homage to those who made it possible for him to step into the role of Chewbacca. After Peter Mayhew’s death, Joonas Suotano wrote a heartfelt tribute to the man who first brought Chewie to life. He’s made it clear that he takes the responsibility of portraying the iconic Wookiee very seriously -- even when he’s poking fun at his scruple-less approach to board games.
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