Maclunkey! 'Star Wars' on Disney+ has a small change we're all talking about

When presented with a potentially new version of A New Hope, the savvy Star Wars fan knows exactly which scene to fast-forward to: Han Solo vs. Greedo in the Mos Eisley Cantina. It's a scene that has been altered more than any other in the original movie, from the 1997 Special Edition where Greedo shot first to the 2011 Blu-Ray version where Han and Greedo shoot at exactly the same time.

But now it seems George Lucas wasn't even satisfied with that supposedly final version. Because the version of Star Wars that launched on the Disney+ streaming service Tuesday morning gives Greedo one entirely new word of alien dialogue just before Han shoots him. That word appears to be "maclunkey."

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The internet, of course, went nuts, as the internet is wont to do when it comes to new Star Wars content. Soon Twitter was filled with maclunkey memes, and fans scratching their heads about what exactly happened and what it means. Even the mighty Stephen King was tweeting about it by noon eastern.

And yes, just to be clear, "maclunkey" is absolutely not in any previous version of the Special Edition. Unlike the rest of Greedo's words, there is no on-screen translation. So what gives?

We reached out to Lucasfilm, which was able to confirm that George Lucas made the change prior to the Disney acquisition. The company could not provide more details, but here's how that likely went down.

In 2011, just prior to the company selling itself to Disney, Lucasfilm announced an upcoming slate of 3D versions of what was then all six Star Wars movies (this was in that post-Avatar era where we all thought 3D movies were the future, or at least an easy way to make fresh buckets of cash).

George Lucas insisted on going by episode number, rather than chronological release date (the correct order), and so it was that The Phantom Menace in 3D hit our theaters in 2012. Box office returns were relatively disappointing, and plans to re-release the rest of the series were shelved — although hardcore Star Wars fans at the company's semi-regular convention, Celebration, were shown a new 3D version of Attack of the Clones for free in 2013.

Is "maclunkey" a sign that this is the version of A New Hope that Lucasfilm was prepping for 3D release? It would certainly be in line with known Lucas behavior. The maker has tinkered with Star Wars more than any other movie over the years, like it was a hot rod in his garage.

This process started not with the Special Editions but with edited and reworked lines of dialogue as early as May 25, 1977 (for the mono audio version that wasn't yet in theaters). In 1981, for its re-re-release, Star Wars got a new name and a number, Episode IV. Over the years we've chuckled at overdubs such as Obi-Wan's new "krayt dragon call" that scares away the Tusken Raiders.

For the 2011 Blu-Ray version, Lucas moved Greedo's shot 11 frames forward so that the green alien and Han shoot at the same time — a clear attempt to mollify fans in the wake of the "Han shot first" controversy (which would be more accurately named "Han shot solo.")

So "maclunkey" may have been a bid to distract from that change, or at least re-stoke the whole controversy and bring audiences back to theaters as much out of hate as out of love.

It may also be a word or two in Huttese, a common language on Tatooine. Phantom Menace fans have pointed out that it sounds similar to a line from Sebulba, Anakin's podracing nemesis. In the admittedly unofficial script, the line is rendered as "maka noke." Make of that what you will, Star Wars detectives.

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The famously reticent Lucas may one day speak out on this surprise Special Edition he left to his Disney heirs. In the meantime, it is up to all of us to insert a reason for "maclunkey" in our Star Wars headcanon. Was it a lost love that Greedo pined for in his final moments? A warning to Han to avoid being killed by his own son many years hence?

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Only you, in your private galaxy far, far away, know for sure.