logo Sign In

Recasting our heroes

Author
Date
Author
Time
Post link

We've briefly touched on it since the news, so I thought I'd start a more serious discussion.  At this point, every side is saying all sorts of things about the seventh film.  Lucas is a consultant, Kennedy is a producer, Disney will listen and use their ideas, Disney won't use their ideas, no existing novels will be filmed, etc, etc, etc.

Truth is, nothing at all is decided yet.  It's just a bunch of glad-handing and mutual admiration from all parties.  I get that.  It's very early in the change-over.

With that in mind, I thought I'd toss out a few ideas for recasting our heroes.  I'm firmly in the camp that it can be done and that it should be done.  Weird CGI would (to me) be distracting. 

As I've said before, if you can recast Kirk, Spock, Scotty, Bones et al - as iconic a set of film characters as there has ever been - you can recast anyone, including Luke, Han, & Leia.  Not to mention the several times over recasting of 007 - all of which have worked well.

So without further ado, here are my two picks so far.  I've based it on the small samples I've seen of their work - plus a physical presence to the characters as written and acted. My picks are for stories that take place only a few years after the events in Return of the Jedi.

My pick for Leia;  Clea Duvall.

My pick for Han;  Chris Hemsworth.

I think both could pull it off and to me, both look like the characters the way they come to life in the novels.

Also, while they have said no existing novels, they could easily recant and go Thrawn.  I think the fan base would be very ok with that.  Personally, I would assume I should stop playing the lottery if they filmed them because all my karma would be spent.  ;-)

My absolutely no two ways about it pick for Mara would be Bryce Dallas Howard.

 

No one has jumped out at me for Luke or Lando, but I'm still working on it.

 

 

Forum Moderator
Author
Time
Post link

Nope.

Never going to think about such an evil proposal.

New characters or the same actors.

Author
Time
Post link

Nathan Fillion as Han would make sense.

“Grow up. These are my Disney's movies, not yours.”

Author
Time
 (Edited)
Post link

Should they ever use Thrawn in a film, I'd like to see Canadian actor Tom McCamus cast for the role. He's played suave villains before, so he'd be perfect IMO.

Author
Time
Post link

so replace them actors that are younger than Harrison, Mark and carrie were when they made the first movie? Chris Hemsworth just doesn't have the charisma to play Han 

Author
Time
Post link

No recasting unless its a new generation of heroes and Mark Hamill is the Kenobi character in episode 7 passing the Jedi torch.

“Always loved Vader’s wordless self sacrifice. Another shitty, clueless, revision like Greedo and young Anakin’s ghost. What a fucking shame.” -Simon Pegg.

Author
Time
Post link

Cast Archetypes


The Robots 

Jimmy Fallon - C3P0 Character

Nick Offerman - R2D2 Character

Ty Burrell - Jar Jar Character


The Kids

Emile Hirsch - Luke Character

Gemma Arterton - Leia Character

Amber Lancaster - Padme Character

Zac Efron -Anakin Character


The Pirates

Ryan Gosling - Han Character

Nick Frost - Chewie Character

Nicole Taylor - Mrs Han Character

Alison Brie - Mrs Lando Character

Rufus Sewell - Lando Character


Jedi Rebellion

Ralph Fiennes - Yoda Character 

Vincent Cassell - Obi Character

Kevin McKidd - Qui Gon Character

Brad Pitt - Mace Character

Annabella Sciorra - Mon Mothma Character

Gemma Atkinson - Admiral Ackbar Character

Kevin Costner - Oragana Character


The Bad Guys

Cliff Curtis - Darth Maul Character

Ben Foster - Vader Character

James Spader - Tarkin Character

Billy Bob Thorton - Emperor Character

Ray Winstone - Grievous Character

Alan Rickman - Dooku Character

Richard Armitage - Boba Fett Character

Harvey Keitel - Gunray Character


Lots of characters die. Women have much bigger role, they lead.

Author
Time
Post link

Why not Mark Hamill as Luke?  That would be the most consistent with the OT.

I wish that I could just wish my feelings away...but I can't.  Wishful wishing can only lead to wishes wished for in futile wishfulness, which is not what I wish to wish for. 

Author
Time
Post link

Mark Hamill's son is 33 years old right now.

Just sayin'.

“Grow up. These are my Disney's movies, not yours.”

Author
Time
 (Edited)
Post link

He's really fat and old though.

Just sayin'.

“Grow up. These are my Disney's movies, not yours.”

Author
Time
Post link

He could go on a diet and play an older chap.

Just sayin'.

Author
Time
Post link

Luke's age in the new story may be too young for Hamill.

Just sayin'.

“Grow up. These are my Disney's movies, not yours.”

Author
Time
 (Edited)
Post link

georgec said:

Lucas' biographer has confirmed in interviews that the new story will follow Luke in his 30s and 40s.

Just sayin'.

It did back then when it was written but we also have reports of Carrie and Mark being called to 'the presence' so I imagine that treatment has been adapted to their current age.

Which if you think about makes much more sense than recasting which would be the most stupid thing to happen to Star Wars since Boba Fett's sky-swim.

Author
Time
 (Edited)
Post link

Bingowings said:

georgec said:

Lucas' biographer has confirmed in interviews that the new story will follow Luke in his 30s and 40s.

Just sayin'.

It did back then when it was written but we also have reports of Carrie and Mark being called to 'the presence' so I imagine that treatment has been adapted to their current age.

Which if you think about makes much more sense than recasting which would be the most stupid thing to happen to Star Wars since Boba Fett's sky-swim.

You forgot to add, "Just sayin'"! Noooooooooooooo, chain broken.

I agree with you and was obviously jesting, but yes it all depends on what the story is. Luke in his 50s? Hamill. Luke in his 30s or early 40s? Probably not Hamill.

But I'm curious why George called Carrie and Mark but not Harrison. Can't remember if he was unavailable or something, which is what I guess. I can see this going one of two ways:

a) Pick up the story with Luke/Leia as primary characters in their late 30s or early 40s. Forgot how old Han would be at that point...

b) Pick up the story with Luke/Leia as secondary characters in their 50s.

Either way I just want to see Billy Dee Williams!

“Grow up. These are my Disney's movies, not yours.”

Author
Time
Post link

Hopefully the story will be such that no recasting is needed.  IF they did recast, I would hope that it was a straight up reboot (like Star Trek). I have no issue with a reboot, but recasting AND calling it a sequel...meh

 

That being said, I think Christoph Waltz would make a boss Obi Wan.  Very different take on the role but I think that would be necessary to distinguish a new series from an old one (but since no one has mentioned a reboot, moving on)

Hemsworth or Gosling as Han Solo

Same people for C3PO and Chewbacca 

Luke and Leia...no idea honestly...

Author
Time
Post link

I do hope they use the older actors because it breaks the current Hollywood trend of not casting anybody over 30.  It would make it more interesting. 

You could even work the aging into the script, like "Wrath of Khan."

I wish that I could just wish my feelings away...but I can't.  Wishful wishing can only lead to wishes wished for in futile wishfulness, which is not what I wish to wish for. 

Author
Time
Post link

Okay...I do not understand...at all...casting people who are in their 20s and 30s for these roles.

I gotta agree with Bingo. Hamill can work out, grow the beard maybe, that would work. Pass the torch for a new story. Nathan Fillion doesn't actually need to be Han Solo. This rebooty (yeah, rebooty) idea makes my skin crawl.

As for Star Trek, that was a full-up unapologetic reboot. In the midst of that I still don't think fans would have been good with an aged Spock played by Jeff Goldblum in pointy ears.

Just sayin'.

The blue elephant in the room.

Author
Time
Post link

wabid said:

 

Cast Archetypes


The Robots 

Jimmy Fallon - C3P0 Character

As much as I like Jimmy, can you imagine 3P0 biting his lip and cracking up with the giggles every five minutes?

James Spader - Tarkin Character

Not cold enough.

Billy Bob Thorton - Emperor Character

Whaaaat?

Alan Rickman - Dooku Character

:)

Harvey Keitel - Gunray Character

Okay, Keitel in Star Wars? I'm in. But something big, like say Palpy Mk. II.
Imagine the throne room going a bit differently... "What, you just gonna stand there-that's it? Seriously? Make a move, do something! Nothing? Okay here's how it's gonna go..."

I don't know if these can be recast and maintain the same sense of character, but I do agree with above that the group of actors selected certainly have to be older.

But no one replaces The Dee Williams and his Colt 45. That's where we find Lando in VII-selling Colt 45 through the Outer Rim territories because some investments went very south. Think of it as the unreleased fourth Lando novel: Lando Calrissian and the rigors of selling terrible cheap malt liquor to aliens on sparsely populated backwater planets because you have a terrible business sense and were once the administrator of this facility.

VADER!? WHERE THE HELL IS MY MOCHA LATTE? -Palpy on a very bad day.
“George didn’t think there was any future in dead Han toys.”-Harrison Ford
YT channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader

Author
Time
Post link

McFlabbergasty said:

Michael C. Hall as Luke

I could see Luke strapping someone to a table, nicking their face with his lightsaber for blood slides, and the killing them with a hydrospanner to the chest.

“Grow up. These are my Disney's movies, not yours.”