21 Actors You Didn't Know Were Almost Cast In Star Wars

9. Toshiro Mifune Was Almost Obi Wan Kenobi AND Darth Vader

Mifune Darth Vader Star Wars fans will probably be aware that George Lucas initially wanted a Japanese star to play Obi-Wan Kenobi because he was so fond of the works of Akira Kurosawa - which heavily influenced a lot of Star Wars - and that he had approached Toshiro Mifune for the role before he ultimately cast Alec Guinness. But what you might not be aware of is that Lucas also considered the Seven Samurai star for the role of Darth Vader. That much was confirmed by Mifune's daughter Mika, who spoke on world history game show, "Sekai Fushigi Hakken!" and stated that Vader's helmet was designed with her father in mind, whose face would have also been partly visible had he accepted the role. The extent of those claims should probably be taken with a pinch of salt, but there is no doubt that Lucas was initially very motivated to get his man, who ultimately turned down the role because he believed Star Wars would be a kids franchise. Ultimately, both actual castings turned out very well, but it would have been hugely intriguing to see Mifune as Darth Vader, with more of an acting performance to the character rather than what amounted to a dubbed stuntman trading on iconic design and immediate mythology.
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