Luke - Ewan McGregor would’ve been great for this role 5-6 years ago. Someone mentioned James Vanderbeek, but I’d prefer Varsity Blues castmate Paul Walker to play Luke in 2001. Walker played original starting QB Lance in VB.
Leia - Hard to think of actresses who can pull off both regal and hard-nosed. Perhaps Claire Forlani or Charisma Carpenter (a stretch). Charlize Theron would probably best both.
Han - IMHO, this is the hardest role to cast. Valentine’s David Boreanaz was born for this role, but is probably too young to play it in 2001. On the other side of the spectrum, Mel Gibson would’ve been great as Solo 10 years ago.
For now, what are our options? George Clooney? Russell Crowe? Better would be Traffic’s Benicio Del Toro. Del Toro has sufficient edginess, but would lend an Latin flavor to the Solo character that Ford never did. Is that necessarily a bad thing if there is hypothetically no Ford’s Solo to compare to? Blade’s Stephen Dorff could probably also pull the role off.
Truth be told, Boreanaz and Gibson could probably still make Han Solo work in 2001.
Obi-Wan - Remember that TV show The Equalizer? The 71-year-old Edward Woodward would make an outstanding Kenobi. I also like the suggestion of Anthony Hopkins.
Darth Vader - Shaquille O’Neal. Wait … go with me here: Shaq has the requisite size in spades. He already has plenty of experience on movie sets & is familiar with the day-to-day routine of film-making. As a pro basketball player, he has the necessary strength & agility to learn Vader’s “choreography” and pull it off wearing a heavy costume. As long as he doesn’t have to talk, Shaq IMO can pull off the role of Vader.
If we can’t have JEJ do Vader’s voice, I think any of Samuel L. Jackson, Gary Oldman or Laurence Fishburne would fit the bill. Jackson sometimes does voice-overs for museum tours & such - his voice can be very Vader-like if he is going for that effect.
Lando - Denzel Washington could play Lando in a manner that we are accustomed to Billy Dee Williams playing him. For a twist, Jason’s Lyric Allen Payne would do well as Lando. He would better play a contemporary to Boreanaz’ or Del Toro’s Solo than Washington would, too.
If Gibson or Crowe played Solo, Laurance Fishburne or Terminator 2’s Joe Morton could well hold up the role of Lando.
C3PO - The Full Monty’s Robert Carlyle - no question. If we do not hold ourselve’s to British actors, Kevin Spacey could do 3PO’s voice.
How’s that?
