Just when news about The Acolyte couldn’t get any weirder, we learned that Keanu Reeves nearly played Jedi Master Sol in this controversial Star Wars project. While some fans joked about the Matrix star dodging yet another bullet, the majority of the fandom seems hyped at the reports that Reeves would be interested in future projects in a galaxy far, far away. I hate to cut the hype down like a youngling, but the truth is that casting big names in Star Wars has been and always will be a bad idea.

A Distraction Star Wars Doesn’t Need

I don’t say this because I think Keanu Reeves would be a bad actor in Star Wars…the talented actor would likely elevate whatever script he was given (yes, even an Acolyte script). However, one problem with casting big stars like this is that it instantly takes the air out of a new movie or series. Instead, all of the headlines and fan discussions would suddenly focus on how John Wick is now part of Star Wars, making it impossible to see him as a truly new character in this venerable franchise.

BMF

If you doubt casting someone like Keanu Reeves in Star Wars would be distracting, just look back at how the fandom reacted to Samuel L. Jackson being cast in the prequels. As usual, Jackson did an excellent job, but it was genuinely difficult not to think of his iconic roles in movies like Pulp Fiction. And not just for fans: even the crew had that Tarantino movie on their minds, which is why they gifted Jackson with a lightsaber hilt engraved with BMF, a reference to his Pulp Fiction character having “Bad*ss Motherf*cker” on his wallet.

Famous Faces Are Distracting

Keanu Reeves, like Jackson before him, would make an awesome Star Wars actor, but casting him would just be too distracting. Arguably, casting any big names for this franchise breaks our suspension of disbelief that these stories take place in a dramatically different time and place (like, seeing Reeves’ Matrix colleague Carrie-Anne Moss in The Acolyte instantly made the whole show seem off). And anyone who doubts this simple truth about famous names in Star Wars can take it up with the maker himself: George Lucas.

A Cast Of Mostly Unknowns

When casting for the original Star Wars movie, Lucas deliberately cast relatively unknown actors for most of the characters, with the biggest names in that film being Peter Cushing and Sir Alec Guinness. In fact, the director initially didn’t want Harrison Ford to even audition for the movie because he had appeared in the earlier Lucas film American Graffiti, meaning he was not unknown. Lucas realized back in the ’70s that big names would be a big distraction from his space fantasy series, but both Disney and the modern Star Wars fandom seem to have forgotten this very elemental lesson.

Star Wars Has Other Problems To Fix

The bottom line is that we don’t need Keanu Reeves or other famous faces to headline new Star Wars projects…instead, we need better writing from creators who are truly passionate about the franchise. Otherwise, stunt casting is just a band-aid being slapped on a franchise that has been bleeding out for years. Here’s hoping that Disney learns that Keanu isn’t “The One” before Star Wars is as dead as John Wick’s first dog.