The Subtle Star Wars Reference You Never Noticed In Men In Black

Even though the events in the Star Wars saga took place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far way, they were so memorable they are still influencing life in this galaxy, right here on planet Earth, in modern times. At least, that seems to be the case in the Men in Black universe, where the aliens of Star Wars might possibly exist.

The 1997 film Men in Black introduced audiences to the secret MiB agency that manages and polices the affairs of extraterrestrials living on our planet, but who hide from normal humans. Starring Will Smith as rookie MiB Agent J and Tommy Lee Jones as veteran Agent K, the movie was a massive success, cemented Smith's status as an A-list movie star, and launched a franchise.

But it also revealed who the "real" aliens are among the celebrity set. During his first day of on-the-job orientation Agent J is shown a display of some of the famous faces living on Earth who are actually aliens in disguise.

Some of the personalities on the surveillance screen include actors Sylvester Stallone and Danny DeVito, singer Dionne Warwick, and weatherman Al Roker. Two directors are also shown: Steven Spielberg and Star Wars creator George Lucas. Somehow it is not entirely shocking for the filmmakers behind E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and the original Star Wars trilogy to be aliens. After all, they both have crafted classic stories involving outer space. But while Spielberg never showed too much of the home planets in his sci-fi work, Lucas' saga is entirely set on other worlds.

This raises an intriguing question: if Lucas is an alien in Men in Black, did he base Star Wars on real characters from that far away galaxy?

If the other Star Wars reference in Men in Black is any indication, then yes!

As intriguing as it is to see Lucas shown in the MiB surveillance files, the Star Wars universe is actually established within Men in Black canon a few minutes earlier.

The scene in question takes place right after Agent J — then still known as NYPD officer James Darrell Edwards III — aces his recruitment tests at MiB HQ. While the other candidates are ushered into a room for neuralyzing, Agent K offers him a job. But J still isn't signing onto the whole notion of aliens on Earth, and asks to be escorted out. Agent K agrees, but first makes a coffee stop in the break room.

And that's when we meet the "Worm Guys." Agent J looks on, stunned, as K talks to the quartet of sarcastic, squirmy little dudes who smoke cigarettes, trade gossip, and spill coffee.

What's so notable isn't how the worms behave, but what language they're speaking. When K interrupts them, they are heard saying, "wanga," followed by a series of other alien phrases (which the agent seems to understand). Agent K retrieves his coffee, and departs as the worms continue to chatter in the strange language.

The moment passes so fast that it is easy to miss, but Star Wars fans might have found it familiar. While a direct translation isn't known, the Worm Guys are speaking in the language known as Huttesse, famously spoken by intergalactic gangster Jabba the Hutt.

Also pretty wormy in appearance — although much, much larger — Jabba made his debut in 1983's Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi. In that film, he's a kingpin of crime lounging about his palace on the planet Tatooine. Audiences did not learn much about Hutt's backstory in Jedi, but in subsequent appearances in the Star Wars saga, it was revealed that Jabba came from the planet Nal Hutta, which is swampy, fetid, and frequently wet with greasy rain.

It also seems like the kind of place the Worm Guys might have ended up before making their way to Earth — which is a pretty mind-blowing thought exercise. So what is the likely story with the Worm Guys speaking Huttese in this overlooked moment from Men in Black (and then again in 2002's Men in Black 2)?

It could simply be an obscure reference from MiB executive producer Spielberg as a shout out to his friend Lucas. But we prefer to think that director Barry Sonnenfeld was firmly establishing Star Wars within the MiB universe. That would then suggest that not only is George Lucas a legit alien posing as a human under surveillance by agents, he might have even based his galactic saga on real events from his home world.

If so, that means there just might be Jedi and Yoda Babies on their way to earth any minute.