Throughout Star Wars, it's been common for up-and-coming movie stars to take the lead roles. While there are some exceptions, actors such as Mark Hamill and John Boyega didn't have a wide audience before appearing in the galaxy far, far away. However, that doesn't mean some big stars haven't been considered. The King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson, once went for the role of Star Wars' most disliked character – Jar Jar Binks.
23 years after his first debut, Jar Jar Binks is still universally hated amongst fans. In more recent years, Jar Jar's actor Ahmed Best has been more open to the Star Wars fandom and revealed his struggles with being so disliked. And so many fans have begun welcoming Best back into the spotlight with open arms. But despite the kind-heartedness of the actor, it's still hard to accept Jar Jar as he is.
Yet Best himself has revealed that Jar Jar was almost completely different, as Michael Jackson was competing for the role. While, at the time, he was considered the biggest singer in the world, Jackson would frequently try to star in Hollywood blockbusters. He desperately wanted to play parts such as the titular role in Edward Scissorhands and Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory but was often turned down because of his status.
Upon hearing about a cooky, kid-friendly character in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Jackson went for the role. During a 2015 Vice interview, Best revealed that, according to George Lucas, "Michael wanted to do the part but he wanted to do it in prosthetics and makeup like 'Thriller.'" Lucas disagreed and wanted the character to be CGI. And so, Lucas went for someone more athletic and able to pull off a wide range of body motions to help with the CGI.
The idea of a prosthetic Jar Jar played by Michael Jackson is pretty wild, but could it have possibly made Jar Jar even more dislikable? The entire Star Wars original trilogy shows that good makeup can work seamlessly, and the computer animation wasn't exactly loved. While the CGI for Jar Jar was way ahead of its time and pushed the boundaries of special effects, it was still criticized for standing out. Plus, it would cause issues on set, with actor Ewan McGregor famously looking in the wrong spot when talking to him.
Of course, there isn't much to go off of when it comes to Jackson's acting abilities. Best was able to voice Jar Jar how Lucas wanted him, and the actor speculates, "My guess is ultimately Michael Jackson would have been bigger than the movie, and I don't think he wanted that." This seems fitting, as, aside from actors like Samuel L. Jackson and Liam Neeson, Star Wars has usually starred lesser-known faces.
While it's easy to laugh off the idea of a Michael Jackson Jar Jar, it's certainly interesting to think about what might have been. Although, with all the controversy surrounding the singer in more recent years, it's likely for the best he never played the character. Jar Jar already has enough hate surrounding him, and the last thing the character needs is more controversy.