Star Wars’ reluctance to recast Luke and Leia is holding the franchise back

It’s time to talk about something Star Wars has been avoiding for some time: recasting its original trilogy characters. There have long been calls for the likes of Luke Skywalker to be portrayed by new actors (Sebastian Stan, anyone?) but it has, by and large, been something that the franchise hasn’t needed to properly confront – until now.

Leia’s namedrop in Ahsoka episode 7 may be a minor one, but it has ripped open a wound that has been festering for some time. Carrie Fisher’s untimely passing in 2016 may have given Lucasfilm pause when it comes to outright replacing the iconic actor, but that creative decision now requires too many leaps of logic and is getting in the way of telling coherent stories.

Why didn’t Leia show up at the Defense Council in Ahsoka? Sure, seeing C-3PO is always a treat, though the only impression I got from the whole scene was how heavy-handed Star Wars has gotten with tiptoeing around characters that aren’t the right age or, sadly, are no longer with us. It’s an elephant in the room that’s only going to get bigger and noisier in the next few years, too.

Lucasfilm, for its sins, has tried workarounds. Rogue One went the CGI route for both Moff Tarkin and Leia, though the waxy end results left a lot to be desired.

Technology, mercifully, has improved. Luke Skywalker’s appearances in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett (an awkward mash-up of Mark Hamill and actor Graham Hamilton, complete with de-aging) have been fine, but still lacked a little something. They’re half-measures that pull focus away from what you’re watching on-screen. There’s a reason why directors such as Christopher McQuarrie decided to scrap a flashback sequence involving a de-aged Tom Cruise from Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning because it drew too much attention away from the scene.

Frustratingly for those aching for a change, Star Wars already has the solution. It’s moving forward with Donald Glover as Lando, while young Leia actor Vivien Lyra Blair effortlessly embodied the spirit of the character in Obi-Wan Kenobi, proving that there’s plenty of scope to shuffle the pack without resorting to technology.

Even Ahsoka has shown you can have someone who looks and sounds different to what the mind’s eye remembers – in this case, a glut of animated cast members have been replaced – without losing anything of value.

It’s completely understandable that the franchise would be skittish over hooking their most bankable names and faces but, frankly, it’s long overdue and would allow for some really exciting opportunities.

A new generation would undoubtedly be thrilled by seeing these characters in their 'prime' once more, but it also allows a fresh actor to give their own take on the role in the same way someone comes in to give their own spin on Batman or James Bond. In effect, it mythologizes the character, be it Luke, Leia, or Han, even more so – instead of leaving them on the sidelines or bringing in a hellish digital recreation.

Recasting those characters is the refresh Star Wars needs for that original trilogy and post-original trilogy era of storytelling: Imagine really digging into Luke’s history before the sequels, or Han and Leia’s eventual separation. Even if you’re more interested in seeing other characters away from the Skywalker Saga – and honestly, we get it – there just seems to be so much untapped potential there.

Lando is a start, but hopefully those baby steps can turn into a confident stride. After all, the reference to Leia in Ahsoka proves that the Lucasfilm higher-ups need to commit to making a creative decision – or risk holding Star Wars back.

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