Star Wars: Recasting the original and prequel trilogies for the 2020s

25. Tom Hanks as Yoda

Last, but certainly not least, we have arguably the most iconic character of them all. Jedi Master Yoda did not appear until The Empire Strikes Back, but the performance given in that film and Return of the Jedi by master puppeteer and voice actor Frank Oz is nearly untouchable.

Frank Oz continued to lend his voice to Yoda through every single theatrical film, as well as the animated series Rebels. Tom Kane took on the mantle for The Clone Wars film and TV series by giving his voice to Yoda and delivered, but he was always giving us his own version of what Frank Oz had created from the beginning.

Choosing someone to embody that voice in a recasting of Star Wars is a tall task, but one man who might be up to the challenge is iconic actor Tom Hanks. Actually nailing down which Tom Hanks movies to mention is as monumental a task as comprehending just how massive his impact on the film industry has been, and his work led to a career that includes six Academy Award nominations, two Academy Award wins, 12 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, and 7 Emmy Award wins.

Perhaps the role that most shows the way Hanks could fit into this character is his voiceover work as Woody in the Toy Story franchise. If Star Wars were to be recast today, it would be hard to pass up the opportunity to hear Tom Hanks providing his voice to the iconic Jedi Master Yoda.