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Credit: Lucasfilm***SPOILERS FOR OBI-WAN KENOBI EPISODE 1 & 2***
Kathleen Kennedy promised that Lucasfilm wouldn’t focus on recasting iconic characters like Luke Skywalker or Han Solo, but Obi-Wan Kenobi shockingly does exactly that by recasting Leia.
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Recently, Kennedy broke Star Wars fans’ hearts when she said to Vanity Fair that Lucasfilm doesn’t plan to recast iconic characters again after seeing Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) as a “mistake” for recasting Harrison Ford.
While the Lucasfilm President has clarified that this doesn’t mean Star Wars won’t recast some characters, it did seem like the original trilogy characters were off-limits for any recasting, but Obi-Wan Kenobi recasts Leia for the series.
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Some fans may be quick to say that Vivien Lyra Blair’s Leia doesn’t count as Carrie Fisher‘s replacement, but it’s still interesting that Lucasfilm is fine showing the younger side of the character with a lot of screentime while not doing the same for Alden Ehrenreich with Solo.
Star Wars has made it clear that they don’t plan to ever recast someone to portray Leia in Star Wars after the actress tragically passed away, but JJ Abrams had no problems using CGI to have Leia appear in several scenes in Star Wars: Episode IX — Rise of Skywalker (2019).
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Since Leia seems to have a large role in the series, it’s fair to say that Lucasfilm may just be deciding when it’s acceptable to recast a character and when it isn’t based on which project they want to pursue. Luke Skywalker has now appeared in two different Star Wars shows using Mark Hamill and Deep Fake technology to make the CGI look as authentic as possible.
Perhaps Vivien Lyra Blair may only get to be Leia in Obi-Wan Kenobi, but the actress could play a teenager version of the character a few years later and fans would be fine with it so it’s really confusing why the line must be drawn for Solo and not for Leia.
More on Obi-Wan Kenobi
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Here’s an official description of the new Star Wars Story:
The series begins 10 years after the dramatic events of “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith” where he faced his greatest defeat, the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker turned evil Sith Lord Darth Vader.
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The new Star Wars limited series stars Ewan McGregor, reprising his role as the iconic Jedi Master, with Hayden Christensen’s return as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. Joining the cast are Moses Ingram, Joel Edgerton, Bonnie Piesse, Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell, and Benny Safdie.