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Credit: LucasfilmIf nothing else, it’s a show of confidence for Star Wars…
Disney and Lucasfilm have showcased some amazing technology in recent years. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) brought Grand Moff Tarkin (Peter Cushing/Guy Henry) back to life and paid a subtle homage to Carrie Fisher with a Princess Leia cameo. These two just opened the floodgates, and soon, the impossible was possible once again.
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At the end of Season 2 of The Mandalorian, fans saw a similar recreation of a young Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). While the face seemed a little uncanny valley, what was more impressive was the voice. Fans wondered who they cast to voice the young Luke (Hamill): He sounded exactly like the character from Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)! Then along came Obi-Wan Kenobi.
After seeing a slightly improved Luke (Hamill) in The Book of Boba Fett, audiences saw and heard something amazing in Obi-Wan Kenobi. Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) cuts an imposing figure visually, but half of his persona is due to the outstanding voice acting of James Earl Jones. Many have tried to imitate him, and many have come close, but there’s no replacing the original. What Lucasfilm was able to do was amazing.
Utilizing new technology from Respeecher and archival recordings of James Earl Jones from the Original Trilogy, showrunners were able to create a Vader (Christensen/Jones) that sounded exactly like the character from the 70s and 80s because it was him! It made for a stirring scene when Vader (Christensen) and Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) came to blows, and the voice of Anakin (Christensen) and Vader (Jones) blended.
If new reports are to be believed, this is only the beginning! CBR covered a new rumor from industry insider Shaun O’Rourke, which suggests that Lucasfilm will be de-aging and bringing back to life a few characters for a new offering on Disney+. According to the rumor, a new project may be announced at Disney’s Star Wars Celebration in April and, if the hashtags are any guide, may feature a de-aged Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), and Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa).
Of course, as CBR notes in their article, nothing has been confirmed yet, and all rumors should be taken with a grain of salt. That being said, it’s not outside the realm of possibility, as noted by the examples above. With technology improving all the time and Bob Iger’s focus on quality over quantity, fans could see some amazing things coming from Star Wars soon. That, or they could be seeing some visuals direct from the uncanny valley.
Related: Disney Changing Iconic ‘Star Wars’ Planet For ‘The Mandalorian’
Figuring in the de-aged Hamill from The Mandalorian, the de-aged Harrison from Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023), and the d-aged Carrie Fisher from Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019), each of the characters has already been virtually de-aged, so the pieces may be in place for them all to come together. With plenty of stories set between the films of the Original Trilogy, there’s lots of potential as well! Who knows what could be revealed at the Star Wars Celebration?
What do you think about this potential project? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below!