It's great these ideas are still floating around here. It's been a while since I posted but Ive been lurking for the last week and saw this forum and others talking about similar subjects regarding some radical prequel ideas.
Sorry but Im going to go on a bit of a tangent here.
*years* ago(literally) bingo, myself and perhaps some others talked about ways to try and preserve the Vader reveal for ESB.
My own idea was to somehow tie it into Vader as another character who has the name Vader because that's some title he is given because he kicks butt.
So when he dies and "Vader" emerges Anakin literally is now Darth Vader. It's like he takes the name of his fallen foe. Its a title somewhat.
So basically Vader, the original, replaces Darth Maul(the name). But if you were doing an edit you would still keep the character of Maul just not the name. Just change it to Vader.
It also makes Obi-Wan less of an outright liar. I understand why he thought he had to lie. But this is also to try and preserve the reveal in ESB.
The trick would be to do it so its really is tragic for Anakin. People would think he died. Others would not but they wouldn't feel cheated because it would be set up that Darth is a title. It could be short for DARk lord of the siTH.
And Dooku should be this maverick jedi, like Qui-Gon, who leaves the order and everyone thinks he's bad. He's declared an outlaw by the republic. But he's really misunderstood because he holds the secret just like in AOTC, that Sidious has infiltrated the republic government at the highest levels. That's why he wants to "start over" with government(as he says in the AOTC deleted scenes).
He should be far more ambiguous until the end of AOTC when he reveals all to Obi-Wan. Then Obi-Wan would be like "oh crap. By the way Dooku, the republic is coming to blow the crap out of this place. I have to stop it."
That could lead to Kenobi's first fight with Anakin.
Anakin shows up and he's like "Obi-Wan you've turned traitor!" But Kenobi is "No you don't understand." But its too late and they have a lightsaber duel.
The second film would end with Kenobi on the run from the Republic-in-name-only.
The Jedi are then split.
This is perfect for Palps. He can now play up the "some jedi are traitors" angle and gain greater control over the remaining loyal jedi on Coruscant.
He will then betray them in Ep 3 when he sends Vader to vanquish the entire jedi order.
This will be a result of Kenobi somehow notifying a jedi on Coruscant as to whats really going on. The loyal jedi then gets a couple of other of jedi that are convinced they've been duped by someone in the senate. They go to purge the senate and are denounced as fellow conspirators with the earlier outlaw jedi from AOTC.
If you wanted to be even more radical with Dooku, you would then merge the character of Dooku with Qui-Gon and make Qui-Gon this mysterious Lord Tyranus(so named by republic propagandists) in the opening crawl of AOTC. It would only be revealed who Tyranus really is when he drops his hoodie to Kenobi when Kenobi is imprisoned on Geognosis.
He also wouldn't be ordering the clone army. He would simply be building a droid army on Geognosis to counter the republic threat he now knows exists.
Imagine that meeting between Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. It would mirror a bit Luke's shock at hearing Vader tell him the truth about his father. Not as powerful but that's how it should be. It should build in surprises throughout the saga.
Kenobi would be like "this can't be happening."
Qui-Gon: "search your feelings you know it is true.
Then Anakin and the "rescue party" would show up to destroy the separatist threat and the despicable Lord Tyranus.
It would be a great dilemma for Obi-Wan.
What will he do? Whose side will join?
Can Qui-Gon be fully trusted?
It would also throw the audience for a loop too because they would realize the good guys were really the "bad guys" all along.
We've been cheering for the wrong side!
Having said all that about Qui-Gon, I don't see how it could really be done though in an edit. Not enough footage.
But you could make that character Dooku. There is enough to do that.
The Lost 20 could even be a part of it too. These jedi have disappeared recently. They have been thought dead, missing, etc.
Some have recently died mysteriously on missions. Some are just outright gone.
But they show up at the end with Qui-Gon/Dooku. Qui-Gon has shown them the truth and they've joined him on this crusade to end the republic.
So now we have the jedi traitors vs the loyal jedi. It sets it up perfect for Palpatine to say in Ep. 3 "this jedi order is a little out of hand. I think we need to abolish it".