Liam Neeson has since become synonymous with the character of Qui-Gon Jinn, but which other actors were considered for the role ahead of George Lucas' much-hyped prequel movie failing to live up to the almost impossible levels of expectations set by the original Star Wars trilogy 16 years prior. Several characters, such as the Gungans Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed Best) and Boss Nass (Brian Blessed), received particular ire, with their one-dimensional, slapstick portrayals a far cry from the nuanced days of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hammill) and Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher).
However, the subsequent years have been much kinder to The Phantom Menace, with substantial praise directed in hindsight at most of the movie's casting decisions. Characters such as Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ray Park's Darth Maul have continued to be hugely popular amongst the Star Wars fandom, with both actors' iterations of their characters still featuring in Star Wars content to this day. Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) also falls into this category, with Neeson's performance remaining the only live-action depiction of Qui-Gon in the Star Wars universe to date.
Qui-Gon's popularity within the contemporary Star Wars fandom is such that he is even rumored to return in Disney+'s Obi-Wan Kenobi miniseries as a Force Ghost. Yet despite Neeson's excellent turn as the sage Jedi master, there were several other high-profile candidates in contention to play Qui-Gon in 1998 ahead of The Phantom Menace's release date. Here's every actor that was considered to play Qui-Gon in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, as well as why Liam Neeson remains the perfect Qui-Gon Jinn.
Tom Hanks
Following back-to-back Oscar wins for Philadelphia and Saving Private Ryan, Sleepless in Seattle, and A League of Their Own, Tom Hanks was one of the biggest movie stars in the world in 1998. As a result, it perhaps comes as no surprise that George Lucas considered Hanks for the role of Qui-Gon Jinn during The Phantom Menace's extensive casting search. Hanks' ties to George Lucas' close friend and confidante Steven Spielberg likely helped matters here, with Spielberg and Hanks already sharing an extensive collaboratory history prior to The Phantom Menace's release.
It must be said that Hanks would likely have made a fantastic Qui-Gon Jinn, with the American-born actor and filmmaker embodying the sage, collected qualities that made Qui-Gon such a fantastic mentor to both Obi-Wan Kenobi and a young Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd). However, Hanks' aforementioned star status may have been too big of a draw for Lucas' first Star Wars project in 16 years, with the director not wanting any big names to overshadow the prequel movie's production. This is cemented by comments made by Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best in 2015, who stated that some of the names touted for The Phantom Menace "would have been bigger than the movie, and I don’t think he wanted that” (per Rolling Stone).
Morgan Freeman
Having played the quintessential wise mentor in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), Qui-Gon Jinn. Freeman's distinctive, iconic, and recognizably deep voice would also have lent itself well to many of Qui-Gon's lines from the movie, adding gravitas to key moments such as when Qui-Gon proclaims that Anakin is "the chosen one" before the Jedi council.
Kurt Russell
Another A-list actor heavily considered to play Qui-Gon in 1998 was Kurt Russell, who at the time was a bonafide star following iconic turns in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope before being reconsidered for Qui-Gon. Although the reasons behind why Russell did not get the part remains unknown, it is likely due to his status as an out-and-out action star in the late 1980s and 1990s that may have brought too much of a rough-and-tumble edge to the monk-like Qui-Gon.
Kyle MacLachlan
Per Dale Cooper in Twin Peaks (1990-1991), MacLachlan was well-positioned to enter a franchise as big as Star Wars. Like Kurt Russell before him, it remains unclear why MacLachlan did not make the cut for Lucas - but many have speculated that his youthful looks in 1998 worked against him getting the role of a wise, relatively old Jedi master.
Why Liam Neeson Is The Perfect Qui-Gon Jinn
While some names considered, such as Tom Hanks and Morgan Freeman, appear tantalizing propositions, Liam Neeson's turn as Qui-Gon Jinn proves George Lucas got his casting calls spot-on for The Phantom Menace. Although The Phantom Menace received some frosty reviews upon release in 1999, critics were still particularly taken by Neeson's Qui-Gon performance, praising the warmth and depth he brought to the role. It is likely that many critics were seeing Neeson's ion for the project reflected back at them, with Neeson reportedly (per IMDB) so excited to be a part of Star Wars that he signed onto The Phantom Menace project without reading the movie's script. In this way, Neeson's performance as Qui-Gon endures in contemporary culture, with the clamor for Qui-Gon's Force Ghost to return (after Yoda confirmed its existence in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith) at a near-constant pitch. While there undoubtedly were other actors in 1998 that fit the Qui-Gon mold, Liam Neeson remains the perfect choice to play the Jedi master following his performance in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.
