Star Wars Finally Recasts a Character Instead of Using CGI: A Major Shift

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In the second season of Star Wars: Andor, an established character from the franchise is played by a new actor, Benjamin Bratt, as Senator Bail Organa, due to scheduling conflicts with Jimmy Smits who previously played this role in several Star Wars films and series. This practice of recasting characters, when necessary, has been employed by other Star Wars projects, such as the casting of Ewan McGregor as a younger Obi-Wan Kenobi, replacing Alec Guinness, and Alden Ehrenreich portraying young Han Solo. The showrunner of Andor, Tony Gilroy, confirmed this recasting decision was made due to scheduling issues with Smits.

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It’s worth noting that the casting of Bail Organa in ‘Andor’ deviates from the pattern Star Wars has followed in recent years, which involves using CGI to recreate roles when original actors are unavailable or deceased. For example, a digitally created version of Luke Skywalker, played by Mark Hamill, was featured in ‘The Mandalorian’ and ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ in 2020 and 2022 respectively. Similarly, CGI versions of Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia and Peter Cushing’s Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin were used in ‘Rogue One’. The use of CGI instead of real actors and the reluctance to recast roles has been a contentious issue among Star Wars fans for the past decade. However, ‘Andor’ may indicate a shift from this trend moving forward.

Star Wars: Andor‘s Recasting of Bail Organa Corrects One of the Franchise’s Biggest Problems

Using CGI to replicate an actor’s likeness for a role they can no longer play often leads to several issues. For instance, in the Star Wars universe, whenever this method has been employed, the resulting character appears remarkably unusual. Despite advancements in technology since the early days of Star Wars, the CGI version of Luke Skywalker in The Mandalorian doesn’t hold a candle to the human actors he interacts with in Season 2’s final scene. Even though improvements were made to his appearance in The Book of Boba Fett, he still appears unrealistic, and his digitally generated voice sounds more like a mechanical, robotic imitation of Hamill. Characters like Leia and Tarkin faced the same problems in Rogue One years prior; these digital versions of characters detract from the story because they struggle to match the authenticity of living, breathing performers. In cases where actors have passed away, such as Fisher and Cushing, ethical questions arise regarding the use of their likenesses without explicit consent, even if it’s technically permissible.

It’s disappointing when an actor fails to capture the essence and authenticity of a beloved character they’re portraying, despite superficially resembling them. The choice to recast Bail Organa in “Andor” Season 2 rather than using CGI to bring back James Earl Jones seems like a positive change. It appears that the “Star Wars” franchise is addressing fan complaints about CGI recreations and may consider recasting characters in the future.

Moving Forward, Star Wars Should Always Recast Characters Instead of Using CGI

After the character redesign of Bail Organa in Andor, the second season of Star Wars: Ahsoka will introduce Rory McCann as Baylan Skoll, a role previously played by Ray Stevenson who passed away. This change offers a glimmer of hope for the future of Star Wars, as it appears the series is moving away from CGI revivals of characters. The advantage of recasting over digitally recreating characters lies in providing lesser-known actors with an opportunity to make their mark on a grand stage. Actors like Hayden Christensen and Daisy Ridley have gained significant fame through Star Wars, and similar stardom could be achieved by the new cast members taking up established roles.

In a more straightforward manner: It’s generally preferred to use real actors over computer-generated imagery (CGI) for roles, even if they don’t perfectly resemble the original characters. For instance, Star Wars enthusiasts would rather see Billie Lourd portray Princess Leia than a CGI version of Carrie Fisher. Similarly, many fans have long imagined Sebastian Stan as Luke Skywalker, finding it more intriguing than the CGI depiction of Luke in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett.

Following the introduction of Bratt as Bail Organa’s successor in Season 2 of Andor, it seems that the Star Wars series is making a wise choice by casting new actors instead of using CGI versions of previous ones. This strategy should become standard for the franchise, as it will be advantageous for both working actors and Star Wars enthusiasts alike. Fingers crossed that we won’t ever have to endure another unsettling CGI character in a Star Wars production again.

New episodes of Star Wars: Andor release weekly on Tuesdays on Disney+.

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2025-05-01 20:31