[h2]1. The Original Cast[/h2]
Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Chewbacca, Billie Dee Williams, etc.
Yes, this number 1 choice totally and completely violates the spirit of a “10 Actors” countdown, but hear me out.
My opinion on this new Star Wars film, ever since it was first announced, has been fairly apathetic. Return of the Jedi ended the original Star Wars story, and it ended it very well. I do not, therefore, have any burning desire to see an Episode VII – a film which, given its title, will presumably follow its predecessors directly – and would be vastly more interested in something set outside the standard, thirty to forty-year continuity of the original saga.
But if J.J. Abrams and company are making an Episode VII, and intend for it to follow in the wake of Episode VI, they need to have the original cast and characters on board. I do not need Luke Skywalker and friends to be the stars of the movie – that would be a mistake, I think – but they need to be present, at least in a ‘passing-of-the-torch’ capacity. That, for me, is all I would need to really and truly justify an Episode VII, and if I saw a trailer with Hamill, Ford, Fisher, and others back in their original, iconic roles, I would probably faint with excitement. These are some of my favorite characters of all time, and if there is a chance to see where they are all these years later, I would take great pleasure in seeing it.
The thing is, I do not know if I would have said anything like this before Abrams came on board. But if I am sure of one thing about J.J. Abrams directing Star Wars, it is that he loves these characters, understands them deeply, and would respect the original cast and use them organically in his film. Want proof? Just look at how spectacularly he utilized Leonard Nimoy in Star Trek, not just as a way to please fans of the original series, but to effectively and emotionally pass the franchise beacon to a new cast. That is exactly what Star Wars needs, and with Abrams directing, the original performers are the actors I most want to see in Star Wars: Episode VII.
What do you think of these picks? Would you want to see any of these actors in a new Star Wars film? Which actors can you think of who would work well in this context? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
