You'll Never Believe Which A-List Actors Were Almost Cast in Star Wars

Before his untimely death in 1996, Shakur actually auditioned for the role of Jedi Master Mace Windu in the 1999 movie Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace.

The legendary actor and director almost voiced Darth Vader in A New Hope, but George Lucas thought his voice would be too recognizable.

Being a big fan of the series, Walker said he was super bummed when he didn't get the part of Anakin Skywalker in the prequels.

Apparently, Jackson really, really wanted the part of Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars: Episode I but lost out to Ahmed Best.

The former Dawson's Creek star revealed that he met with the casting director for the part of Anakin in the prequels.

Phillippe was yet another heartthrob up for the role of Anakin in the prequels. He even got to test with Natalie Portman, but in the end he was considered too old for the role.

It was rumored that Bale was Lucas's first choice to play Anakin in the prequels.

Back when Russell was still making Disney movies in the '70s, he auditioned for the part of Han Solo.

When casting the very first movie in the franchise, Walken was Lucas's second choice to play Han Solo. He even did a screen test for the role in the director's Upper West Side apartment.

During Walken's screen test, Foster read for the part of Princess Leia.

That's right! Way before he gave us all nightmares as Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street in the '80s, the actor auditioned for the role of Han Solo. Even though he was considered too young for the role, he did pass along the casting notice about the movie's teenage hero role to his friend Mark Hamill, aka Luke Skywalker.

DiCaprio admitted during an interview with ShortList magazine that he passed at the chance to play Anakin in the prequels.

Stallone auditioned for the role of Han Solo before his big break as Rocky Balboa in 1976.

Allen lost out to Carrie Fisher for the role of Princess Leia, but she would later costar with Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981.

Pacino said he was offered the role of Han Solo, but he turned it down because he didn't understand the movie's script.

Murray was yet another potential Han Solo in the '70s.

Del Toro was originally cast as Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace but dropped the role when George Lucas made a few changes with the characters. He didn't give up on the franchise, though! He went on to star in Star Wars: The Last Jedi in 2017.

During an appearance on the Empire Film Podcast in 2015, Ronan revealed that she auditioned for a role in The Force Awakens.

"I've gone in and read for it," she said. "But I have to say, I think it's the only time I've ever thought, 'You know what? Even if I don't get it, I had so much fun auditioning, pretending to take out a lightsaber – out of a bag, kind of inspect it and not know what it is' That was . . . that was great. A lightsaber! Star Wars!"

According to Variety, back in 2004 Oldman was reportedly offered the chance to voice droid warlord General Grievous in Revenge of the Sith, but pulled out because he didn't want to break the Screen Actors Guild regulation known as Global Rule One.

"We're quite puzzled by the whole thing. But out of respect for and solidarity with the other [SAG] members, he could not and would not consider violating the rules of his union," Oldman's manager, Doug Urbanski, said.

In 2016, during an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Fassbender revealed that he "had a conversation" with director J.J. Abrams about starring in The Force Awakens. Which role was never specified, but we can't help but wonder if it was brooding devil Kylo Ren or the ruthless General Hux.

The Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them actor revealed that he auditioned for the role of villainous Kylo Ren in 2016.

"They gave me like a Star Trek scene — or like something from Pride and Prejudice . . . but then they tell you you're auditioning for the baddie. If you're me, you then put some ridiculous voice on," Redmayne told Entertainment Weekly. "That was a really hilarious moment because it was Nina Gold . . . and she was just sitting there and I was trying again and again with different versions of my kind of 'koohh paaaah' [Darth Vader breathing sound] voice. And after like 10 shots she's like, 'You got anything else?' I was like, 'No.'"