Mark Hamill confirms strange connection between Star Wars and Duck Dodgers

Sometimes when I think I’ve heard it all about Star Wars, something like this comes along and takes me by surprise.

Turns out George Lucas wanted the Warner Bros. cartoon Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century to run before Star Wars: A New Hope, and then a Duck Dodgers sequel to run before Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.

Mark Hamill revealed the details in a tweet, responding to Toon In With Me tweet about this interesting fact. Unfortunately, George didn’t get either wish granted.

Lucasfilm couldn’t get the rights to the Duck Dodgers cartoon in time for A New Hope, and then the Duck Dodger sequel titled Duck Dodgers and the Return of the 24 ½th Century wasn’t finished in time for The Empire Strikes Back.

What is Duck Dodgers and the Return of the 24 ½th Century?

The cartoon features Daffy Duck as Duck Dodgers on a mission to Planet X to retrieve the supposed last remaining source of the shaving cream atom. Porky Pig joins him as his space cadet.

When they arrive Duck Dodgers claims the planet for Earth however, Marvin the Martin arrives to claim the planet for Mars. The two share some witty banter until they bring out their weapons.

In the end, Planet X is mostly destroyed with Duck Dodgers standing on the last piece of it with Marvin and Porky Pig hanging onto it from below.

As this cartoon is meant to be humorous, it makes sense that George would have wanted this to run before his first film because as Mark Hamill stated, “It would’ve been an icebreaker to let the audience know what was coming was less than dead serious.”

You can watch some of the Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century cartoon on YouTube here.

Have you seen the cartoon Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century? Leave your answer in the comment section below!