Joonas Suotamo Explains The Importance Of Chewbacca In ‘Star Wars’

Han Solo’s trusty (and excessively hairy) sidekick Chewbacca has remained a staple of the “Star Wars” franchise. At first helmed by the late Peter Mayhew, who died in April of this year, Chewbacca was soon taken over by Joonas Suotamo following his appearance in 2015’s “The Force Awakens” as a body double.

In an interview with ScreenRant, accompanied by C-3PO actor Anthony Daniels, Suotamo conveyed how tall Chewbacca truly stands in the “Star Wars” universe. Not merely the trusty friend of Han Solo, nor even the Wookie warrior from Kashyyyk, the character has had an ever-lasting imprint on “Star Wars,” having echoed the Chewbacca sound in all of the trilogies and even in 2017’s “Solo: A Star Wars Story.”

“I think it has to do with the total totality of ‘Star Wars,’ and that he’s been that presence on screen,” explained the Chewbacca actor. “When we’ve watched this journey, with the galaxies and the lightspeed hyperdrives, Chewbacca has been there. Not necessarily making too much noise about himself, but he’s been there. He’s unique…”

Daniels, who recently explained his own tear-jerker moment on filming “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” added weight to Suotamo’s words, saying, “[Chewbacca’s] a very comforting companion.”

Despite relatively negative “Star Wars” review scores thus far, “Episode IX” marks as a close to the Skywalker saga, possibly even ending Chewbacca’s long journey throughout the galaxy far, far away. As “Star Wars” characters go, Chewbacca may well be one of the most iconic of the creatures, which only grows with the inclusion of Babu Frik in “The Rise of Skywalker” and the highly beloved Baby Yoda in “The Mandalorian.”

“To me, that is the perfect design,” said Muppet director and writer Kirk Thatcher on the design of the Chewbacca costume in an interview with The Washington Post. “I just kind of marvel at the simplicity – he’s not a dog, he’s not a werewolf, he’s not a gorilla. There are so many animals we can attribute his physiognomy to – it’s actually really difficult [to create] – but it’s the perfect amalgam of creatures that we like.”

Even down to the character’s costume design, Chewbacca seemingly conveys friendship and, as Daniels put it, comfort. He may not be every fan’s favorite character, yet the Chewbacca sound remains among the most iconic noises in “Star Wars” and may well echo the character’s legacy beyond “Episode IX.”

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” releases everywhere Friday.