Out of the five Star Wars movies that Disney has released since acquiring Lucasfilm, 2016’s Rogue One is widely regarded to be the best of the bunch. Filling in the story of how the Rebels stole the Death Star plans from the Empire, Rogue One is like a heist movie set in a galaxy far, far away.
If it had been spun off from the original trilogy, Rogue One would’ve hit theaters in the 1980s. Presumably, Carrie Fisher, David Prowse, Peter Cushing, et al would’ve reprised their roles from the originals, but Rogue One is largely told through the eyes of new characters. In the ‘80s, Rogue One could’ve starred Sigourney Weaver, Tom Cruise, and Eddie Murphy.
8 Sigourney Weaver As Jyn Erso
Felicity Jones starred in Rogue One as Jyn Erso, who is imprisoned for crimes against the Empire and then freed by the Rebellion to lead their mission to steal the Death Star plans.
This role needs to be played by a nuanced dramatic actor who can also play a straightforward hero in an action-driven narrative. In the ‘80s, Sigourney Weaver could’ve played this part. The role of xenomorph killer Ellen Ripley in the Alien franchise – a fierce action hero in the mold of Jyn Erso – made Weaver a star.
7 Tom Cruise As Cassian Andor
Diego Luna stars alongside Jones in Rogue One in the role of Rebel spy Cassian Andor. Luna is set to reprise his role in a spin-off series that will premiere next year on Disney+. If the movie was made in the ‘80s, the male lead could’ve instead been played by Tom Cruise.
Cruise became a go-to action hero in the ‘80s with the role of Maverick in Top Gun, later bolstered by the Mission: Impossible franchise. The actor also explored the moral ambiguity that defines Andor with his roles in Rain Man and Born on the Fourth of July.
6 Jack Nicholson As Director Krennic
While iconic Star Wars villains like Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin have supporting roles in Rogue One, the movie’s real antagonist is Director Orson Krennic. Played by Ben Mendelsohn, Krennic is the Imperial executive in charge of the Death Star who constantly challenges Tarkin’s authority.
In the ‘80s, this role could be played brilliantly by Jack Nicholson, who played a sociopath with a hubris problem in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining.
5 Sonny Chiba As Chirrut Îmwe
Although Rogue One set out to tell a Star Wars story without the involvement of the Jedi, Chirrut Îmwe is basically a Jedi under a different name. Played by Donnie Yen, he’s a “Guardian of the Whills” who believes in the Force and protects its balance with martial arts.
Yen brought his own unparalleled martial arts abilities to the role in 2016. If the movie was made in the ‘80s, martial arts movie legend Sonny Chiba – best known for starring in the Street Fighter trilogy – could’ve done the same.
4 Donald Pleasance As Galen Erso
Jyn’s father Galen Erso is responsible for the plot of Rogue One. The Empire taps him to design the Death Star and he sabotages it with an exposed thermal exhaust port to clear up a plot hole from the original Star Wars movie. The role was given some dramatic weight by Mads Mikkelsen in 2016.
If Rogue One was made in the ‘80s, then this part could be played by Donald Pleasance, who filled the expository role spectacularly in John Carpenter’s seminal 1978 slasher masterpiece Halloween.
3 Michael Keaton As K-2SO
Every great Star Wars movie needs a memorable droid character. Rogue One has just that in Andor’s droid sidekick K-2SO. Voiced by a beautifully deadpan Alan Tudyk, K-2SO is an ex-Imperial enforcer droid who was reprogrammed by Andor to work for the Rebels. This role needs a dry comic actor with dramatic chops, like Tudyk himself.
In the ‘80s, Michael Keaton became a comedy star with his leading roles in Mr. Mom and Beetlejuice. His casting as Batman drew thousands of angry fan letters, but Keaton ended up being the quintessential on-screen portrait of Bruce Wayne.
2 Eddie Murphy As Bodhi Rook
Bodhi Rook, an ex-Imperial cargo pilot who defects to the Rebellion, was originally played by Riz Ahmed. This role needs a motormouth, a gifted comic performer, and an everyman the audience can relate to.
Like Ahmed, Eddie Murphy is all three. Murphy was one of the biggest stars of the ‘80s, thanks to SNL and a string of hugely successful big-screen vehicles.
1 Sidney Poitier As Saw Gerrera
Saw Gerrera is a long-time veteran of the Clone Wars and a family friend of the Ersos who acted as a mentor to Jyn later in her childhood. In Rogue One, the part was played by the great Forest Whitaker.
This role needs a veteran actor who can convey the gravity of a world-ending threat through exposition that could be dry and boring in the hands of a lesser performer. Screen legend Sidney Poitier, who rose to prominence with roles in movies like In the Heat of the Night and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, could’ve done a terrific job with the character.
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