‘Star Wars’ R2D2 Cameos: Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams Put Droid In Other Movies

Star Wars‘ R2D2 cameos have been found in both new Star Trek films, but did you know that the plucky droid has been in other Steven Spielberg movies? In fact, in an Indiana Jones film, he made a sort of cameo next to his other droid mainstay C-3PO.

That’s right, R2D2 isn’t just in every Star Wars film. He’s also in every Star Trek film J.J. Abrams made as well as a few from Steven Spielberg, even though in some cases it was a case of “blink and you’ll miss it.”

In J.J. Abrams’ first go at the Star Trek helm, he had R2D2 floating ever so peacefully right outside the Enterprise plain as day in the viewscreen right by Sulu’s head.

The next film had R2D2 flying by in a sequence where the ship was blown open. The droid is almost unmistakeable with its domed top and big legs stuck out at an angle like it had been going somewhere when the vacuum of space took him on an unexpected detour.

As for the Steven Spielberg movies that had Star Wars‘ R2D2 cameos, there was a scene in Close Encounters of the Third Kind when the droid was sitting still upside down on the spacecraft. He’s right next to one of the lights.

In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Steven Spielberg gave R2D2 and C-3PO an unusual cameo as carvings in a pillar. There is a scene where Indiana Jones is looking across a golden altar of sorts and directly to the left there is a pillar with a snake wrapped around it. Look below the snake and you’ll see the carving of both Star Wars droids.

Little do most people know, R2D2 was also in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. You’ll see him flying by in one of the fight sequences with Optimus Prime in the desert. Yes, you’ll probably have to sit through the worst Transformers film ever made to catch a cameo of the ever-famous Star Wars droid.

With both Steven Spielberg and J.J. Abrams at the helm of Star Wars Episode VII, you can bet your lightsaber that Star Wars‘ R2D2 will at least have a cameo.