Star Wars Viewers Slam Controversial Recast: 'It Makes No Sense To Me'
Topics: Star Wars, TV And Film
Featured Image Credit: 20th Century Studios
Topics: Star Wars, TV And Film
For years, it has been hotly debated whether George Lucas should have tampered with key scenes in the iconic Star Wars original trilogy.
With newer technology, Lucas edited and added in major changes to the first trilogy, with his ‘special editions’ released in the late-1990s, bringing new life to some moments, but frustrating Star Wars fans in the process.
Lucas didn’t stop there, but went back and changed a pivotal scene in the final part of the trilogy.
It, perhaps, became the most controversial change, recasting the actor Sebastian Shaw, who played Anakin Skywalker’s Force ghost at the end of Return of the Jedi.
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To reflect the prequel trilogy, the change was made to bring in Hayden Christensen instead, tying the two trilogies together.
Even now, after many years, it annoys fans, like this one on Reddit who created a thread and said, “I’m sorry, but I always hated this change George made.”
“It just never made sense to me,” the user explains, continuing, “it hits harder seeing the Sebastian Shaw version of Anakin as an old man not the young version from Revenge of the Sith.”
They’re not alone in their opinion, as Omnislash99999 said, “In the original Anakin and Obi-Wan made actual eye contact and in the updated one it's such a rush job. Two old friends finally "seeing" each other again, and they couldn't be bothered to maintain it.”
It’s reported that the footage of Hayden was pulled from a costume test, which makes the change even more out of place.
One user goes on to suggest, “They could re-shoot it now, while Hayden is the correct canon age and already on set for Ahsoka.”
This is unlikely to happen, as another Redditor points out, “I would think Disney is terrified of messing with Ep 1-6,” and I’d say they’re right. Which means this is the version we’ll have forever.