It’s been 25 years since Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace hit theaters, and yet we’re still learning new things about its production. And the latest tidbit would have been a major shock to moviegoers had they gone through with it. In an interview with StarWars.comOpens in a new tab, via VarietyOpens in a new tab, longtime Lucasfilm concept artist Iain McCaig revealed that George Lucas originally planned one heck of a twist for the first of the prequel films. Lucas originally swapped out Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan KenobiOpens in a new tab and Liam Neeson’s Qui-Gon Jinn as characters. Or at least, they swapped names.
Neeson was going to play Obi-Wan, the older mentor Jedi who discovers Anakin Skywalker. Meanwhile, McGregor would have been Qui-Gon, his padawan learner. Obi-Wan would have still died in battleOpens in a new tab, and upon his death, his student Qui-Gon would have assumed his name. The idea is that Obi-Wan’s death would have come as a total surprise. Every fan of the original trilogy would have just assumed that Neeson was playing a younger version of Alec Guinness’ Jedi from A New HopeOpens in a new tab. According to McCaig, this idea went pretty far along into pre-production. Lucas only changing his mind rather late in the game.
McCaig elaborated further, saying “It was very poignant that at the end, Obi-Wan dies and Qui-Gon defeats Darth Maul and stays with his Master as he passes away. He not only takes on his Master’s quest, but he takes on his name. Qui-Gon becomes Obi-Wan.” George Lucas has always loved the concept that there is rhyming between his trilogies. And it certainly would have been a shocking rhyme, if someone named Obi-Wan died in the first chapters of trilogies. If they had gone through with this twist, that would have meant Obi-WanOpens in a new tab would have had three names throughout his life, once you include Ben. Even Lucas probably realized that’s just one name too many.
