I've been reading various accounts of the filming of Return of the Jedi and one fairly minor but possibly groundbreaking "What If" stood out.
The production team was unsure who it wanted to cast as the unmasked, dying Darth Vader. Director Richard Marquand wanted a well-known British actor, possibly Laurence Oliver while George Lucas claimed that would just distract the audience and wanted someone unknown. Of course the part eventually went to the excellent Sebastian Shaw.
Let's say though that one or the other is more stubborn and refuses to agree with the other's idea. Eventually , if only to break the deadlock, someone suggests the obvious choice of having James Earl Jones play the unmasked Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. Not wanting to waste anymore time on the issue, Jones is cast, filmed, and included in the movie. Besides that brief actor change Return of the Jedi comes out as the film we know today.
How would making Vader black effect Star Wars and pop culture in general?
On one hand one of the most famous fictional characters on the planet is matter-of-factly African-American, on the other hand there's the possibility that it could be read as somewhat racist that the great monster of the screen is black, especially given the mostly white protagonists of the Original Trilogy. If the prequels are filmed in the 1990s/2000s then that adds another layer to things with an African-American actor guaranteed a major role.
So, would this simple casting choice have any major effect?
The production team was unsure who it wanted to cast as the unmasked, dying Darth Vader. Director Richard Marquand wanted a well-known British actor, possibly Laurence Oliver while George Lucas claimed that would just distract the audience and wanted someone unknown. Of course the part eventually went to the excellent Sebastian Shaw.
Let's say though that one or the other is more stubborn and refuses to agree with the other's idea. Eventually , if only to break the deadlock, someone suggests the obvious choice of having James Earl Jones play the unmasked Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. Not wanting to waste anymore time on the issue, Jones is cast, filmed, and included in the movie. Besides that brief actor change Return of the Jedi comes out as the film we know today.
How would making Vader black effect Star Wars and pop culture in general?
On one hand one of the most famous fictional characters on the planet is matter-of-factly African-American, on the other hand there's the possibility that it could be read as somewhat racist that the great monster of the screen is black, especially given the mostly white protagonists of the Original Trilogy. If the prequels are filmed in the 1990s/2000s then that adds another layer to things with an African-American actor guaranteed a major role.
So, would this simple casting choice have any major effect?