Speculation that Star Wars will recast Princess Leia Organa has been growing, and these 10 actors would be strong options to step into Carrie Fisher’s big, very beloved shoes in Star Wars movies and TV shows. Princess Leia is easily one of Star Wars’ best characters, and Fisher’s portrayal of the character is a massive part of that popularity. It’s difficult, in light of that, to truly imagine anyone else stepping into the role; however, the future of Star Wars seems to increasingly demand that Leia be recast.
Several Star Wars TV shows, including The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and the upcoming Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, are set during the New Republic timeline—the time between Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Many of Star Wars’ upcoming movies will also explore this period, including The Mandalorian & Grogu and, presumably, Dave Filoni’s untitled Mandalorian movie. With so much of Star Wars’ future hinging upon this era, during which Leia was a prominent figure, it seems more necessary than ever for Star Wars to recast her, and these 10 actors are among the best possibilities.
10 Hailee Steinfeld
The Hawkeye Actress Is Already Used To Major Franchises
Hailee Steinfeld’s name is among those that have been tossed around for a potential Leia Organa recast. Steinfeld is perhaps best known for her role as Kate Bishop in the MCU’s Hawkeye, in which she becomes the mentee of Clint Barton, the original Hawkeye. This is also not Steinfeld’s only Marvel role, as she also voices Gwen Stacy in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
In addition to Hailee Steinfeld’s appearance making her an option to play Leia, these roles—Kate Bishop in particular—suggest she could be an interesting actor to step into the role of Leia Organa. Like Leia, Kate Bishop is witty, charming, and more than a little sarcastic, so Steinfeld would have no trouble portraying her personality. In terms of her age, Steinfeld would also be a good fit depending on when in the New Republic era she appeared. Steinfeld is currently 27, and Leia was just 23 in Return of the Jedi.
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9 Emma Watson
Although Best Known For Harry Potter, Emma Watson Could Definitely Play Leia
Emma Watson is an immediately recognizable face, in no small part because she played Hermione Granger in the world-renowned Harry Potter franchise. While that may make her seem like an odd choice for Leia, there are many aspects of Watson’s background that make her well-suited to play this iconic part. For one, Watson clearly has no trouble stepping into major roles. In addition to her long-running role as Hermione, Watson played Belle in live-action Beauty and the Beast, yet another major franchise.
Watson’s acting history also reveals her ability to play intelligent, compassionate, and dignified characters, all attributes surely applicable to Leia. It might also be to Star Wars’ benefit to select someone already beloved to be recast in this role. Undoubtedly, no matter who Star Wars picks, there will be controversy. Emma Watson would come with a built-in fanbase, however, which would likely only be a positive for the franchise.
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8 Anya Taylor-Joy
Anya Taylor-Joy’s Unique Filmography Would Prove Interesting In Star Wars
Anya Taylor-Joy is yet another actor whose name has come up in discourse about who Star Wars could select to play Leia Organa. This choice would prove interesting, as Taylor-Joy’s experience in movies and TV shows is quite varied. Taylor-Joy most recently had roles in major movies such as Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Dune: Part Two, and (in a voice role, as Princess Peach) The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
She has also played leading characters, including as the titular Emma in Emma and as Beth Harmon in the unique, thought-provoking show The Queen’s Gambit. It’s clear that Taylor-Joy would therefore be up to the challenge in terms of her acting abilities. There is some question as to how believably she could play Leia in terms of appearance because Taylor-Joy has such a unique look, but, as Star Wars has proven time and again, there are many ways to recreate someone’s likeness in this franchise.
7 Claire Foy
Claire Foy Already Has Experience Playing Real-Life Royalty
Claire Foy is a fascinating possibility for recasting Leia. Foy is likely best known for her role as Queen Elizabeth II in the highly celebrated docuseries The Crown. Foy was one of three actresses to play the Queen, and she was both the youngest and the first of the trio to appear in the show. Foy’s performance was lauded, and for good reason; her acting throughout the series was truly stunning.
Foy has been in a number of other movies and shows as well, among them First Man, Women Talking, and All of Us Strangers. Her history truly does suggest she could play Leia Organa beautifully, as it’s clear she’s very talented. It would also undoubtedly be no challenge for her to play Princess Leia, given she’s already had the monumental job of playing a real-life monarch (who was still alive to see her portrayal at the time).
6 Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway Has The Right Look For Leia Organa In This Era
Anne Hathaway is yet another actor on this list who would be no stranger to playing royalty if she were to be recast as Leia Organa, although her royal experience was much less serious in nature than Claire Foy’s was. Anne Hathaway played Princess Mia Thermopolis in the popular Princess Diaries franchise, and that is just one of many roles Hathaway has played over the years. Among her other titles are major movies such as The Devil Wears Prada, Interstellar, and Les Misérables.
Like Emma Watson, Anne Hathaway would come with her own fanbase, which would prove rather interesting. Star Wars has of course cast actors who are already famous before, but Hathaway might draw in brand-new viewers if she were cast in this role. She is also one of the actors on this list whose appearance perhaps most aligns with Carrie Fisher’s own, particularly around the time of Return of the Jedi, which suggests Hathaway could play a believable Leia in the New Republic era.
5 Keira Knightley
Keira Knightley’s Previous Star Wars Role Suggests She’s More Than Up To The Task
Keira Knightley’s name has been thrown out as a possibility for Leia Organa, and this would actually be Knightley’s second Star Wars appearance. Although it might be easy to overlook because her role was explicitly meant to blend in, Knightley’s played Sabé in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, the handmaiden who switches places with Padmé and stands in as Queen Amidala while Padmé is on Tatooine with Qui-Gon Jinn. This wouldn’t need to prevent her from returning to the franchise, though.
As Padmé is Leia’s biological mother, it would make plenty of sense for Knightley to also work as a Leia look-alike.
In fact, this could be a brilliant Star Wars connection. Knightley’s role as Sabé was to look as similar to Padmé as possible. As Padmé is Leia’s biological mother, it would make plenty of sense for Knightley to also work as a Leia look-alike. This means Knightley’s double Star Wars appearance would either go overlooked or would reinforce the connection between mother and daughter.
4 Elizabeth Olsen
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Elizabeth Olsen has had a number of major roles over the years, but one of her most prominent has certainly been as the MCU’s Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch. Olsen has appeared in a number of movies and shows within the MCU because of Wanda’s significance to the franchise, including as the leading character in WandaVision and as the main antagonist in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. In the latter, however, Wanda Maximoff seemingly died.
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Although viewers are anxiously waiting to see whether Agatha All Along will bring Wanda back to life, for now, it seems Olsen’s time in the MCU has ended. Given that, it could be time for her to join a new major franchise, and Star Wars certainly seems like a possibility. Olsen would be a truly interesting pick for Leia Organa, particularly because of her prominence as Wanda Maximoff, but there’s little doubt she would be up to the task. Olsen is an incredible actress, and she would be wonderful in this role.
3 Florence Pugh
Florence Pugh’s Career Has Been Incredible, Especially Of Late
Yet another MCU actress, Florence Pugh has become a major character in recent MCU shows and movies, including Hawkeye, alongside Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop, and Black Widow, where she starred with her on-screen sister, Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow. She will also play a key role in one of the most significant upcoming MCU movies, Thunderbolts*. Even outside the MCU, though, Florence Pugh’s career has really taken off, revealing how well-equipped she would be to play Leia Organa.
Pugh has also starred in popular movies such as the horror movie Midsommar, the thriller Don’t Worry Darling (in which she acted opposite singer Harry Styles), and the classic Little Women. Clearly, Pugh has an incredible acting range, which suggests she would step into the role of Leia quite successfully. She, like many on this list, would also have no trouble entering a major franchise, as she’s already done so. Pugh would certainly bring something new to the role, but that would be wonderful to see.
2 Millie Bobby Brown
Despite Her Age, Many Have Argued Millie Bobby Brown Is Perfect For Leia
One of the most prominent recommendations for who could step into the role of Leia Organa is Millie Bobby Brown, an actor arguably known best for her role in Stranger Things. While that is certainly one of the roles in which she shines most, Millie Bobby Brown has a number of other titles under her belt, including as the titular Enola in Enola Holmes and Enola Holmes 2 and as protagonist Elodie in Damsel. Damsel was particularly interesting, as it was a reversal of traditional fairy tales in a genuinely inventive way, and Millie Bobby Brown played the role perfectly.
Many seem to like this casting idea because she shares a resemblance with young Carrie Fisher, and that is certainly a factor to be considered. This does raise the question of age, though. Millie Bobby Brown would work well as Leia Organa in a show or movie set close to Return of the Jedi, although her ability to play Leia closer to the sequel trilogy would be interesting to see. Nevertheless, she’s a brilliant actress, so she could undoubtedly pull off the role.
1 Billie Lourd
No One Could Play Princess Leia Better Than Carrie Fisher’s Own Daughter
Of course, many believe there is only one actress who could ever truly play Leia Organa now that Carrie Fisher has passed away, and that is her real-life daughter, Billie Lourd. Lourd has actually already appeared in Star Wars, as she portrayed Lieutenant Connix, who worked for the Resistance alongside Leia. While that might cause a bit of confusion for some, most viewers seem ready to forgive Lourd being double cast if it means her stepping into her mother’s role.
It would be incredibly meaningful for Lourd to become the new generation’s Princess Leia, and it really is difficult to imagine anyone else taking on the role. While all the above actors are remarkably talented and would no doubt do a brilliant job, there is something very sentimental and emotional about this role. Because of her connection to Carrie Fisher, Billie Lourd truly does seem like the only real option to play Princess Leia Organa in Star Wars if the role is recast.
