TV Discussion Anakin voice actors

Was there ever a reason given why Flioni and George didn't use Mat Lucas or anyone else that sounded remotely like Hayden Christensen?
They kept the Obi Wan actor from GenndyWars, but didn't keep Mat Lucas.
I've always wondered why.

 

He might have been close to being cast if I remember right, but wasnt. Probably just Hollywood. Mat Lucas captured Hayden's Anakin very well, while Lanter kinda did his own thing as the character of Anakin underwent changes while Kenobi much less so.

 

At the end of the day, it's clear Filoni (or whoever) decided to just out and out get a voice that sounded more "manly" without any regard to continuity with Hayden's voice. I don't agree with the decision, but at the end of the day it's a business and they feel they need to do what sells.

Having a voice that isn't great myself, I know how unfair it is when people make judgements on your personality based on your voice/looks/whatever, but unfortunately that's just how many people in the world are.

And TCW casting staff presumably wanted to maximize their audience and eliminate any possibility of new complaints Anakin sounds "whiny". It's probably why poor Hayden wasn't even asked back (as far as I could tell) for TCW movie when other live action cast were (Christopher Lee, Samuel Jackson).

 

In a way it is funny because in Germany they used the same voice actor that they used for Hayden. That said, if I remember correctly Wanja Gerick doesn't sound like Hayden at all.

I think Hayden could have done it. I watched some movies lately and with a proper text that doesn't scream for whining he is able to put on the sass Lanter gave Anakin.

Once you hear Lanter as Anakin you can't stopp hearing it. In Timeless were more than a few scenes were Lanter mutated to Anakin. I don't know if this was wanted (I guess it was based on the script and some dialogue) but sometimes it really was annoying.

 

The problem is that unfortunately people judge on voices. Harrison Ford's Han Solo did whining with all his Death Star complaining, and his "It's not my fault" business in the OT and no one complained about that because his voice and looks fit society's definition of masculinity.

If James Earl Jones, Christopher Lee or Kevin Conroy (from Batman the Animated Series) recited word for word Hayden's "whiny" lines, I doubt people would call them whiny. They would admit the lines are terrible but leave it at that. Unfortunately "whiny", per public perception, is really based on tone and inflection no matter how many people try to say otherwise. They want to claim they're judging the character even though in many ways they're judging the voice.

 

I think if Hayden was used as Anakin's voice actor in TCW, Ahsoka's demeanor may have been completely different as well. Laden has a more authoritative voice; you got it when he'd scold Ahsoka for one reason or another. I just can't picture that with Hayden. The only time he gets even remotely authoritative is when he becomes Vadar; and even then he's still somewhat whiny and angry (think Mustafar). It's only when he dons the full outfit and mask and JEJ takes over that he's actually intimidating.

 

Well it's true that the Ahsoka dynamic would have been different, I think it might have been better since movie Anakin would have had a bigger uphill battle trying to train a padawan than LanterMan.

 

I don't think it would've been good at all; considering he only had a certain amount of time to groom a Padawan into becoming a Jedi Knight in between ATOC of ROTS. The series was about the Clone Wars; not about Anakin, for lack of a better phrase, becoming a man.

 

Hayden would have been just fine as TCW Anakin. Remember, he'll have all the same lines. No offense, but what I'm seeing here is the same thing I mentioned in my posts--judging character based on voice intonation, which is just bizarre if you think about it logically.

I've had teachers in real life whose voices weren't that great. Yeah, in high school etc. bad students don't respect you. But in grad school, students don't care what your voice sounds like--they care about the quality of your teaching.

It occurred to me that Han Solo had a meltdown in ROTJ too after Luke left Endor (aside from his ANH Death Star and ESB complaining I already mentioned). Yet no one calls that whiny for some reason, likely due to again society's definition of masculinity which Harrison Ford fits.

 

Whereas I do think Hayden could have done it, it's true that Anakin's dynamic with Ahsoka would not have worked like that.

But it's not really about the voice but the manner Hayden speaks in. I don't know if it is simply a Canadian accent or why he sounds sluggish (?) sometimes. Sorry, I don't know how to explain it.

Hayden's perfect for the movies and, with a great deal of work and effort, could have done the voice acting. Probably with some changed dialogues.

But when I think about it, it is hard to imagine Hayden-Anakin yelling or giving commands in a real battle. I don't know, but I think that might be a problem. Lanter talks pretty loud and clear, Hayden rather softly.

 

I don’t buy this. The primary reason people don’t complain about Han’s whininess is that he’s a humorous character, and his whining usually has a sarcastic edge (not to mention that as a practical guy, he complains about relatively legitimate things, as opposed to Anakin’s “it’s not fair, why won’t he let me do whatever I want!” rants and the creepy sob stories he delivers to Padme). There’s noting humorous about Anakin. He’s dead serious, and he whines earnestly and annoyingly. His voice is the least of his problems.

 

But isn't the real problem simply that so many people complain about Anakin (whoever does that voice) because the future-Vader was imagined to be a badass from an infant on?
The "whininess" goes along with it and the fact that most of the lines are things that reminds viewers of very similar things each one has said in their own life. Especially all about "it's not fair, holding me back". Every single person has said these words in their early adulthood (and probably a couple of times later). I don't know how many co-workers I had who complained on their first days that "it is not fair. You are doing all that stuff and I have to do this. I could be so much better." And no, I won't throw the stone first because I surely said the same when I was that age (or complain somewhere about a job). That's simply what it is like to be a young adult. Everyone does it (and many adults never stop whining).

Han's whininess was just shown as a cool thing in the OT. There was nothing more legitimate about his topics than about the topics Anakin or whoever whines about. And his lines and actions to Leia are way more creepy than any sobbing lines Anakin ever said to Padmé.
That's the thing with whining and complaining. In the situation you whine this topic is legitimate for you. It's not meant to be legitimate for everyone else. if you forbid or don't want someone whining about matters you don't think are legitimate you ultimately wander a dangerous path. Where will you stop? Will you also complain about someone being afraid of something, stressed out by something, traumatized by something or whatever because you personally think that the "something" isn't worth being afraid of/stressed out or traumatized by?

But I think that's not exclusive to Star Wars. Would I always get an Euro whenever I stumble about a comment that a young adult, even worse - teen, behaves like a young adult or teen and not like an "oh so experienced and always wise and never wrong acting" adult I wouldn't have to write these senseless texts I should write instead of posting here.

 

Um, Leia outright tells Han "Don't touch my hands, they're dirty" and he proceeds to do so anyway. Leia says she doesn't want to talk about what she just learned on Endor to Han and Han whines, "You can tell Luke, is that who you can tell?"

Has this guy heard of "No means no"?

Seriously, if I or any other guy on this board did what Han did, we'd be rightfully called out for harassment, etc. If anything, calling Han whiny is downplaying what's going on here.

 

Matt Lantern was great for me I always thought Lucas’s version was much whinnier, but that’s nothing against his voice acting just the direction they had him go in. While PT Anakin was Whiny I still think it was less so than CW Anakin

 

I really like Mat Lucas. It felt seamless with Hayden for the most part. He didn't play Anakin very long, but I enjoyed him in the 03 show, the ROTS game, and the old Battlefront 2.

I have mixed opinions on Matt Lanter. I think Lanter is great when he embodies those elements of Legends Anakin in Season 4 and 5, like when he gets angry at Commander Fox for holding Ahsoka in prison. However, his Anakin feels off to me when he goes the snarky route. In the context of the show, it is fine, but I really notice it in the new Battlefront 2 game. Lanter's lines and delivery feel more like Luke. Ironically, even TCW Anakin wasn't as upbeat and happy as he is in Battlefront 2, and they modeled the character off Hayden's Episode 3 look. Lol

Honestly, I dont find Lanter's angry voice to be that intimidating. When he gets mad at Obi-Wan for lying while undercover it came off as tryhard. Maybe because the show wants to distance itself so much from Anakin's flaws, that him getting angry feels ironically out of character for TCW version imo

 

I never thought that Anakin was supposed to sound angry in the Deception-Arc. For me it was always meant as a deep betrayal, that made his voice more sad but layered with anger. It is hard to explain for me but when I am really angry I tend to sound more upset/sad. It's as if the real feelings are hidden beneath anger but break somewhat through.
In other arcs I would not have argued with Lanter's Anakin.

 

I don't know. Maybe that was the intention for the character, but I didn't hear any sadness in his voice. More like resentment which maybe stems from sadness but I don't think the delivery has a hint of sadness.

I think a great example similar to the Deception arc is the Jabiim arc in the Dark Horse comics. Obi-Wan is apparently killed in action on Jabiim, and Anakin is asked by Palpatine to leave behind his Padawan friends and evacuate the Republic troops. You can see the sadness and frustration that he has to leave both his friends and the Republic Loyalists on Jabiim behind. After he returns to a medical bay, he tries to Force choke a dying Jedi's heart in order to save them. I think that not only highlights the extremes Anakin will go to keep people from death, but it an appropriate reaction after his friends are killed on Jabiim. I think that comic does a better job of naturally building Anakin's angst which bleeds into several issues where Jedi die and Anakin is asked to not mourn them.

I probably wouldn't argue with angry Lanter's Anakin, but I also wouldn't argue with pre-suit Vader, or Lucas's Anakin on Yavin when he gets roid rage on Asajj.

 

I like both Matt Lantern and Hayden Christensen. The former captures the good, albeit flawed, man who tragically pushed the good people in his life away. The latter captures the former slave, traumatized by Tatooine, who was in search of love in the wrong way.

Yeah, I admit I prefer the former. But Lucas' interviews and those of Christensen help m to understand what they were going for, as well.