Weird probably impossible idea, could C-3PO replace both TC-14 and JarJar in the Phantom Menace?
3PO belongs to the trade federation and greets Qui-Gon and Obi on the ship in the beginning (re colored and redubbed with an Anthony Daniels soundalike or Daniels’ voice clips from cartoons/radio dramas etc.)
Then he somehow accidentally stumbles onto one of the federation drop ships and winds up on the surface, saved by Qui-Gon instead of JarJar (would have to rotoscope out JarJar frame by frame and composite in new footage of an actor in 3PO costume). He accompanies them from then on, and his meet cute with R2 is moved earlier to the scene when Padme is cleaning R2 (3PO again replacing JarJar)
Could lead to some fun exchanges:
Qui-Gon:
You almost got us killed! Are you brainless?C-3PO:
I’ll have you know, I’m fluent in over six million forms of-Qui-Gon:
The ability to speak doesn’t make you intelligent. Now get out of here.I too had been tossing this idea around in my head for a while, not really as a fan-edit idea, but more of a “I wish Lucas had done this.” I don’t know if this is possible, but I’ll be damned if it shouldn’t be attempted.
I did a rewrite years ago that did just this. 3PO was the comic relief from the beginning in place of TC14 and replacing Jar Jar. He was the translator for the Jedi and the Gungans, etc. But he started on the TF vessel as a programmer for binary load lifters(a nod to Star Wars)on board the TF ship loading cargo. That is ostensibly what those vessels do: they load cargo. The only difference for Episode One is the cargo this time is a droid army.
Qui-Gon rips 3PO’s restraining bolt off of him and takes him along as he might “be of some use to them”, to Obi-Wan’s chagrin.
But yes, wish fulfillment more than anything. Jar Jar can be somewhat redeemed if he just acts more bravely during the end battle. Then he goes from coward to brave warrior and completes his journey.