Let’s take it back to the original Star Wars movies – we’re talking 1980 when The Empire Strikes Back wowed us with its cool characters and special effects. Remember when Darth Vader cut off Luke Skywalker’s hand with his infamous lightsaber? Of course you do! That’s one of Star Wars’ most iconic scenes.
Well, it looks like Marvel has taken an extra liking to this particular moment – so much, to the point where they’re paying it tribute in their own movies.
Huh?
Marvel films and even its television series are filled with nods to the Star Wars franchise.
That’s right. There are scenes in almost all of the MCU movies (mainly from Phase two) which feature characters having their hand cut off, in a similar fashion to how Luke lost his arm in The Empire Strikes Back.
This wouldn’t be the first time Marvel has blown our minds. We’ve already found a bunch of Easter Eggs within the Marvel Universe that knocked our socks off. But this particular secret Easter Egg is so sneaky, it totally went over our heads. Here’s a list of every Marvel character that becomes a Star Wars victim and loses a hand as a tribute to the franchise…
Movie – Iron Man 3
Star Wars Victim – Aldrich Killian
Remember that final battle scene between Iron Man and Aldrich Killian? As you may recall, Tony Stark cuts off Aldrich Killian’s forearm using the Silver Centurion’s hidden blade. All for the sake of Luke Skywalker…
Movie – Thor: The Dark World
Star Wars Victim – Thor
Marvel Studios squeezed a Star Wars tribute in Thor: The Dark World, too! As part of one of Loki’s grand illusions, he cuts off Thor‘s hand to trick Malekith. Funnily enough, Malekith later has his arms removed by Erik Selvig’s teleporters.
Movie – Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Star Wars Victim – Bucky
Luke Skywalker has something in common with yet another Marvel villain! Bucky may have survived the fall from Arnim Zola’s train, but his arm didn’t – the villain’s arm was ripped off his body upon impact and later completely removed by HYDRA.
Movie – Guardians of the Galaxy
Star Wars Victim – Groot and Nebula
Groot’s first encounter with Gamora didn’t go too well. She chops both of his arms off in an attack but thankfully they grow back. That’s more than Luke Skywalker can say…
That’s not all! There’s another Star Wars victim in Guardians of the Galaxy! Let’s not forget about the moment Nebula cuts her own bionic hand off to escape the Battle of Xandar!
Movie – Avengers: Age of Ultron
Star Wars Victim – Ulysses Klaue
Ultron cuts off Ulysses Klaue’s arm in anger after Klaue compares him with Tony Stark. This was yet another Star Wars reference sneakily placed in a Marvel movie…
Movie – Ant-Man
Star Wars Victim – Yellowjacket
Ant-Man’s arch-nemesis loses his right arm just before the rest of his body begins to shrink and disappear into the Quantum Realm.
Lo and behold! These secret Star Wars Easter Eggs also appear in Phase 3 movie, Civil War, too. It doesn’t end there! A few characters get their hands hacked off in Marvel TV series, Agents of Shield and Daredevil as well!
Movie – Captain America: Civil War
Star Wars Victim – Bucky
Iron Man gets the upper hand in Civil War when he finally blows Bucky’s arm off in an epic battle. This is the first Phase 3 Marvel movie that has included a Star Wars reference…
Movie – Black Panther
Star Wars Victim- Ulysses Klaue
Indeed, Klaw gets his hand cut off once again as an Easter Egg in Black Panther just before he’s gone for good. It’s always funny watching the villain in action but even funnier when he continuously loses a hand in honor of Luke Skywalker.
Movie – Infinity War
Star Wars Victim- Cull Obsidian and Groot
Indeed, there were two characters in Avengers 3 who had their hands chopped off! First time round, it was Cull Obsidian who lost a hand by attempting to jump through Dr. Strange’s portal. Then it was Groot who willingly chose to lose his whole arm in efforts to create Thor’s new axe, the Stormbreaker.
TV Series – Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D: Shadows
Star Wars Victim – Isabelle Hartley
Isabelle tells Lance that she can feel the Obelisk killing her and so she orders him to cut off her arm before it takes full control.
TV Series – Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D: S.O.S. Part Two
Star Wars Victim – Phil Coulson
When Phil Coulson catches The Terrigen Crystal, his arm starts to turn to stone. This prompts Mackenzie to chop off his hand in order to prevent it from spreading to the rest of Coulson’s body.
TV Series – Daredevil: Stick
Star Wars Victim – A Japanese Man
Even Stick got a turn at honoring Star Wars! Remember when he cut the hand off a Japanese man who was involved with the Hand back in season one? That was yet another Star Wars Easter egg!
As mentioned in our Star Wars facts post, these Star Wars and Marvel connections are strategically placed in the movies. President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige, is a self-proclaimed Star Wars fan. He confirmed that the references are indeed a tribute to the galaxy far, far away.
Feige told Cinemablend:
“So I’m obsessed with ‘Star Wars’ – and it didn’t start out as intentional, but it became intentional. It sort of happens in every ‘Star Wars’ movie, but I was sort of looking at it, ‘Okay, is Phase Two our ‘Empire Strikes Back’?’ Not really, but tonally things are a little different. Somebody gets their arm cut off in every Phase Two movie. Every single one.”
It’s all fun and games until someone gets their hand cut off, right? Every one of these gruesome scenes were all in the name of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. Did we miss any other Star Wars victims in Marvel? Which other characters have lost a limb? Let us know in the comments below…
Star Wars and Marvel aren’t the only franchises to toy at each other. Game of Thrones, does too! We bet you didn’t realize until now that Luke Skywalker and Jaime Lannister have lots in common! Read our post to find out more…
