PT If Mifune had been cast as Obi Wan...

Which young Asian actor would have played Young Obi Wan? I always liked Tony Leung Chui Wai for the role...

 

This would have changed the whole feel of the movie IMO. Nobody thinks of ANH as a "Samurai" movie even though it was heavily influenced by Samurai movies. But casting Mifune would definitely make it more of a Samurai movie with a whole different vibe.

 

So, Obi-Wan goes from Asian to Caucasian? Interesting. Almost like Anakin going from white to black....

 

Yeah very hard to say. I think Obi-Wan would have been a very different character if that would have happened.

 

My guess is that Obi-Wan in persona would more of a grizzled war veteran and much more stoic than the grandfatherly amiableness that Alec Guinness bought to the role. Our whole perception of the Obi Wan would surely change for sure. One thing I really like about Toshiro Mifune is the ''intensity'' he brings to his roles.

 

Yes, whimsy is a key component of the Alec Guinness character, and Ewan McGregor continued that mischievous quality in the prequels. Though, in TPM, Obi-Wan is a little more "green" (or blue!), and most of that whimsy is instead portrayed by Liam/Qui-Gon.

Hard to think of how much tougher Star Wars could have been under Toshiro Mifune. Lucas was originally thinking of more stern Jedi characters. It was only really when he came up with the Ben/Obi-Wan character that he allowed a bit of mirth and merriment to seep into his Jedi warrior; and, by extension, the saga generally.

 

How would an asian actor make sense? alec Guinness wasn't asian, so why should the younger actor portraying the same character be?

 

The question was imagine if Toshiro Mifune had taken the role of Obi-Wan instead of Sir Alec. Which Asian actor would have portrayed young Obi-Wan/Mifune in the prequels.

 

Okay, i should have read more thorough. Thought both of the names (title and the question it self) were from the same person, sorry.

 

For those that don't know who Mifune is, he's the most famous typecast "Samurai" actor in Japan.

Him being Asian wouldn't have changed the film, him being a well known "Samurai" actor would have. Star Wars would have had a more samurai feel to it.

Here is Mifune in a classic samurai movie:



This is Mifune in "Shogun" (1980) - so he would have looked something like this in ANH:



And if you've ever seen Mifune before, it was probably in Spielberg's 1941:



This is Mifune (the Japanese sub commander) and Christopher Lee as a Nazi on board.

Mifune as Obi-Wan would have turned ANH into a "Samurai in Space" movie. If he were Obi-Wan I wonder if people like Yoda, Palpatine, Qui Gon, Maul, and Dooku would have been more "Samurai" influenced.

 

The character of Obi-wan was called just Ben Kenobi in the third draft and then the fourth draft was renamed as Ben "Obi-wan" Kenobi. The Obi-wan name gives room for an Asian actor like Mifune, while retaining Ben as a secondary name. Do note that in "Temple Of Doom", there is Club Obi Wan.



Spielberg and Lucas were acknowledging Obi-wan's casting origins. Indirectly, of course.