Disney+ Adds New Wrinkle To "Han Shot First" Controversy

For more than 20 years, Star Wars fans pretty much have only reached consensus on two things: The original trilogy is good and Han shot first.

The classic standoff between bounty hunters Han Solo and Greedo has been up for debate since the release of the 1997 special edition re-release Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope. The special edition, among many other disliked additions, features an altered version of the scene so that it appears as though Greedo shot his gun first. With every subsequent re-release of the franchise's first film, the classic scene has been routinely changed and the Disney+ release, which went live last night, is no exception.

Caught by the eagle-eyed Twitter account Star Wars Visual Comparison, this latest version isn't as egregious as previous incarnations, but it is still a bizarre new wrinkle in one of the series' longest-running debates.

Oh my god. This is not a joke. pic.twitter.com/RMkh7Blg7D

— Star Wars Visual Comparisons (@StarWarsVisComp) November 12, 2019

Unlike the 1997 version, where Han Solo's entire body shifts to avoid Greedo's blast, here they basically shoot simultaneously, furthering the case for Greedo being a pretty poor marksman.

Star Wars Visual Comparisons further elaborates on the shot, explaining that they now fire in the same frame. Also, Greedo now shouts something that sounds like "Maclunkey!" before his fateful shot. No word as to what that means.

Speaking to the Verge, Disney reports that none other than George Lucas, noted Star Wars creator and Greedo Shoots First conspiracy theorist, re-edited the scene before Disney took over. Thanks, Geroge.

The scene has been routinely changed with every "special edition" of A New Hope, including the 2004 DVD release of the original trilogy. Twitter user @GarrettMcDowel1 shared a side-by-side comparison of each version, proving yet another alteration.

Well, they've done it again. #DisneyPlus appears to have altered the infamous Han and Greedo scene from #StarWars. See for yourself. pic.twitter.com/6aGqwoOrzF

— Garrett McDowell (@GarrettMcDowel1) November 12, 2019

With Lucas no longer riding the Star Wars train, perhaps this will be the last change made to the film, which would be nice. But what would be nicer is if the 1977 cut of the film were finally freed from its carbonite prison from deep within the Disney Vault. Will that ever happen? All signs point to "Maclunkney."