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

6. Joe Keery as Anakin Skywalker

There’s the role of voicing Darth Vader, which is an immense challenge in its own right. However, there would also be a unique challenge in embodying the angst and turmoil coursing through a young Anakin Skywalker as he makes the transition into being a Jedi Knight through Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.

Hayden Christensen has been mocked and lambasted by many for his performance as Anakin Skywalker in the prequel trilogy, but a better understanding of Christensen’s own skill and how it paired (or didn’t) with the screenwriting of those movies has curbed opinions on him in recent years.

If someone were to take on that challenge today, the perfect choice might be Joe Keery, who is most well-known for playing the role of Steve Harrington in the Netflix sci-fi series Stranger Things. Keery has had a few other roles in movies like Slice and Spree, while grabbing a few other television credits in Chicago Fire, Empire, and No Activity.

Just based on his performance in Stranger Things, it’s clear Keery has the skill to take on a role like Anakin Skywalker, and it would be special to see how he’d portray a recast version of the character while following the work of Keith David as Darth Vader in this special recasting.