Recasting Every Stranger Things Star in Star Wars

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In fact, many of these actors’ characters in Stranger Things already seem like they draw inspiration from Star Wars, which isn’t a huge surprise given that the Stranger Things creators, the Duffer Brothers, are known Star Wars fans. This actually makes it very easy to see each of Stranger Things‘ biggest stars as various Star Wars characters.

14) Millie Bobby Brown as Leia

Millie Bobby Brown, who played the iconic role of Eleven/Jane Hopper in Stranger Things, would be perfect for the role of Princess Leia. Already, Brown has proven that she can play a powerful, emotionally complex character, and she certainly wouldn’t struggle with pulling off Leia’s wit and sarcasm. Given Eleven’s tragic fate in Stranger Things as well, she would also be no stranger to the grief and loss that Leia has to endure throughout Star Wars.

13) Jamie Campbell Bower as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader

Yet another perfect fit in terms of casting Stranger Things stars as Star Wars characters is Jamie Campbell Bower as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. Bower played Vecna/Henry Creel/One in seasons 4 and 5 of Stranger Things, which honestly saw him playing out a very similar arc to Anakin. While he was not redeemed in the end, Henry Creel turned out to be an incredibly complicated villain, and Bower would therefore be fully ready to handle the emotional depth of Anakin. He also clearly has no trouble playing a bad guy, so he would be excellent as Vader.

12 ) Joe Keery as Han Solo

This one feels almost too obvious, but Joe Keery, who played Steve “The Hair” Harrington in all five seasons of Stranger Things, would make an absolutely brilliant Han Solo. Keery would bring the same suave to the character and easily be able to capture Han’s personality, which has a rough exterior but ultimately reveals a heart of gold. In fact, Steve Harrington even has a very similar arc in Stranger Things, beginning as a bit of a jerk and then becoming a fan-favorite hero. Keery would also have no problem being a heartthrob, as Harrison Ford has long been.

11) Finn Wolfhard as Ben Solo

While Finn Wolfhard played protagonist and unquestionable good guy Mike Wheeler in Stranger Things, he would actually make a great Ben Solo/Kylo Ren. Already, he has a look that would be absolutely perfect for a young Ben, such as when he is training under Luke. Wolfhard’s time as Mike also proved that he can absolutely tap into his emotions as an actor, which would be important for Ben Solo, who had a range of emotions (and plenty of difficulty controlling them) even before he fell to the dark side.

10) Caleb McLaughlin as Quinlan Vos

Particularly in season 5, Caleb McLaughlin’s character, Lucas Sinclair, was a standout for his heroism and deep dedication to Max Mayfield, whom he was willing to die for. That absolutely gives off Jedi energy, which makes McLaughlin perfect for a role that audiences haven’t gotten to see all that much on screen (but absolutely adore): Quinlan Vos. Vos has a few appearances and references on screen in Star Wars, and he is an incredibly complex character. McLaughlin could make this role his own—something he would be brilliant at—and would finally give this Jedi the on-screen focus he deserves.

9) Noah Schnapp as Luke Skywalker

Noah Schnapp’s Stranger Things character Will Byers had quite the journey to go on as one of the main protagonists on the show, which makes him a shoo-in for Luke Skywalker. Like Luke, Will suffered a range of tragedies and traumas from the moment his story began, but he never lost his heart, hope, and spirit. In fact, in the end, Will even tried to understand and save Vecna, just as Luke ultimately understood and saved Darth Vader. It’s worth mentioning, too, that Schnapp could absolutely pull off a young Luke Skywalker in appearance.

8) David Harbour as Uncle Owen

David Harbour’s Stranger Things character, Jim Hopper, is a gruff, at times grumpy man who actually has an incredible heart, which makes him a great fit for Uncle Owen. In fact, Hopper’s dynamic with Eleven, in which he frequently becomes frustrated with her but actually loves her deeply, feels very similar to Owen and Luke’s dynamic. Particularly the Obi-Wan Kenobi show’s depiction of Owen, which shows Owen defending Luke against an Imperial Inquisitor and calling Luke “his own,” proves Harbour would be great in the role of Uncle Owen.

7) Gaten Matarazzo as Ezra Bridger

Gaten Matarazzo won Stranger Things fans over quickly with his heart of gold, sweet disposition (especially in earlier seasons), and playful personality. While Star Wars Rebels Jedi apprentice Ezra Bridger is undoubtedly much more of a troublemaker, he shares many of these traits, and especially towards the end of Stranger Things, it’s clear Matarazzo could pull off the more troublesome traits. It’s easy to see Matarazzo fitting naturally into the spunky yet incredibly heroic character of Ezra, making this a perfect fit.

6) Joseph Quinn as Kanan Jarrus

If Gaten Matarazzo is Ezra Bridger, then it absolutely makes sense for his Stranger Things mentor and friend, Eddie Munson, played by Joseph Quinn, to step in as Kanan Jarrus, Ezra’s Jedi Master. While Kanan never had quite the quirky, brash personality of Eddie, he does have his fair share of quips and snark, which Quinn would have no trouble with. Also, while it might be salt in the wound to bring both up, Kanan and Eddie each have their own absolutely gutting death scenes, making them seem like a perfect fit as well.

5) Sadie Sink as Ahsoka Tano

Although Sadie Sink’s Max Mayfield was a relatively late arrival to the party, as she introduced in season 2, she became a true fan-favorite character—so who better for her to play than Ahsoka Tano? Like Max, Ahsoka was a later addition as Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan. She actually missed the entire prequel trilogy, only being introduced in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie and then the show. Yet, she quickly became a beloved character, just as Max did. Season 5 also proved Max’s ability to step in and be a leader, which is something Ahsoka, likewise, had to do.

4) Brett Gelman as General Hux

Brett Gelman’s Murray is a hilarious and complicated character in Stranger Things, which makes him slightly more difficult to place, but he would actually make a great General Hux from the sequel trilogy. Gelman could easily pull off the odd comedic side of Hux as a character, and would probably have plenty of fun getting to play a villain in Star Wars. In the end, Hux was also revealed to be the spy working against the First Order, so Gelman wouldn’t have to be a true villain for too long.

3) Natalia Dyer as Padmé

Natalia Dyer, who played Nancy Wheeler on Stranger Things, would be absolutely perfect in the role of Padmé. After all, from a young age, both women (then girls) were slinging guns and taking down bad guys with no fear. Nancy even went toe-to-toe with Vecna in season 4, just as Padmé once stood in front of Darth Maul without fear in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Dyer could also easily pull off the look as Padmé, and she would have no problem playing a love interest, as she already did on Stranger Things as well.

2) Charlie Heaton as Cal Kestis

Charlie Heaton is also somewhat difficult to place in Star Wars, but only because his Stranger Things character, Jonathan Byers, didn’t always show off Heaton’s real-life charm. Even so, Jonathan has some harrowing moments throughout the show, and he has several very emotional scenes, particularly because of his brother, Will, which makes Heaton well-equipped to play Jedi Survivor Cal Kestis. Thus far, Cal hasn’t had a TV show or movie appearance, although audiences have long been begging for Star Wars to give him one—and Heaton would be great.

1) Winona Ryder as Shmi Skywalker

Finally, beloved mom of Stranger Things, Joyce Byers, played by the iconic Winona Ryder, is an excellent fit for Shmi Skywalker, Anakin Skywalker’s mother. Although Shmi only appeared in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, she had a massive influence on Star Wars overall, and she had numerous very emotional scenes. Ryder would absolutely be up to the task, and she more than proved her ability to play a strong, loving mom in Stranger Things.

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