It a subject of debate to this day how much control Marquand actually had over the film. Funny how Spielberg and Lucas both have a movie they supposedly ghost directed.
Yeah, it’s such a shame he isn’t still with us. From the few snippets I’ve seen, it’s pretty clear Marquand had a definite vision for the movie - though you’re absolutely right about just how much of his vision was (or wan’t) realised. I did see a clip somewhere where he was a little disparaging of TESB’s tone and was determined to return to the fun vibe of the first film. Like I said, I think he/Lucas overcompensated.
Funnily enough I actually prefer the Marvel version of RoTJ. Obviously it’s hugely condensed, but tonally it has the effect of having the same story with a different ‘director’. Jabba’s court comes across as more sinister, the Ewoks’ cuteness is downplayed, the dialogue is strangely better in many places (particularly in the Obi Wan/Yoda scenes), and any flat acting/hamminess is subjectively reinterpreted by the reader. A personal gripe of mine (if it hasn’t been obvious!) is that Luke basically gives up and hides under the stairs in Palpatine’s throne room while a very real war rages outside. In the Marvel version he merely pauses for a bit before Vader does the ‘sister’ routine. Luke wails on Vader, has the revelation about his own anger, declares Palpatine’s failure, and gets zapped immediately. I prefer the notion (as does Mark Hamill funnily enough) that a Jedi would never give up, and the Marvel version reflects this IMO.