Casting Mara Jade In Star Wars: 10 Actors Who'd Be Perfect

Sep 25, 2023

Star Wars has been hinting at an Heir to the Empire adaptation with The Mandalorian movie, meaning that Mara Jade's canon debut could finally happen.

Who should play Mara Jade in a Star Wars movie has been a popular question since Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire was published in 1991. More than 30 years later, Mara Jade, one of the most important characters from the Star Wars Expanded Universe, has yet to appear in a movie or TV show. After Disney bought Lucasfilm, the Expanded Universe stories were labeled as Legends, as in non-canon events. As such, having live-action Mara Jade in a Star Wars movie became a lot less likely. However, now that Star Wars is revisiting Heir to the Empire through Grand Admiral Thrawn, Mara Jade's canon debut no longer seems that far-fetched.

Grand Admiral Thrawn, the Chiss strategist created by Timothy Zahn for what would become known as the Thrawn trilogy, made his Disney canon return in Star Wars Rebels season 3. Thrawn's return in Rebels meant that any Expanded Universe character could be revisited in Disney's Star Wars canon, although obviously with a few changes. The Ahsoka show appears to be the beginning of a loose Heir to the Empire adaptation, which might culminate in The Mandalorian movie directed by Dave Filoni. If so, Mara Jade's Star Wars return is now far more likely than it was a few years ago. Here are 10 actors who would be perfect in the role of Mara Jade.

From comedies to dramas, Amanda Seyfried has been among the most versatile actors of the past few years. Seyfried recently won a Best Lead Actress Emmy Award for her performance in The Dropout, one of the latest examples of her range. Seyfried is currently not part of any IP-based franchise such as Marvel or DC, and whether she would be interested in joining the Star Wars universe is difficult to say. Still, Amanda Seyfried as Mara Jade would surely elevate whichever project the character would be to appear in. Mara Jade was an Imperial, a smuggler, and a Jedi, three sides that would allow Seyfried to show her range, now in action-orientated stories.

Karen Gillan, who recently starred in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as Nebula, has a vast experience with sci-fi franchises. Gillan played Amy Pond, the Eleventh Doctor's companion in Doctor Who, from 2010 to 2013. After Doctor Who, Karen Gillan would join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) as Nebula. Gillan reprised her role as Nebula in two other Guardians of the Galaxy films as well as two Avengers movies. However, now that the Guardians trilogy is over, Gillan's future as Nebula is up in the air. In that scenario, Star Wars could work as Karen Gillan's new sci-fi franchise.

Related: Star Wars Canon Is Finally Going To Solve Its Mara Jade Conundrum

Guardians of the Galaxy's Nebula and Jumanji's Ruby Roundhouse are just two examples of how Karen Gillan can combine comedy and serious moments even during action-packed scenes. That combination is perfect for Mara Jade, especially because a Star Wars canon take on the character would have a lot of freedom to experiment with them. Karen Gillan could perfectly portray Mara Jade's personality from Legends, yet she could also bring something new, and unique to the character.

A mysterious warrior who develops an "enemies to lovers" dynamic with the hero. While that description fits Star Wars Legends’ Mara Jade, it also fits Game of Thrones’ Ygritte. As such, it is difficult not to imagine what Rose Leslie, who recently starred in The Time Traveler's Wife series, could bring to Mara Jade. Ygritte's role in Game of Thrones is an indication of what Rose Leslie as Mara Jade could be like, although the two characters are obviously very different from each other. From the action-orientated aspect of an Imperial turned Jedi to the character's nuances, Rose Leslie as Mara Jade would be a solid casting.

Anya Chalotra, best known for playing Yennefer in Netflix's The Witcher, could deliver a fascinating take on Mara Jade. Chalotra's portrayal of Yennefer reveals an incredible range, as Yennefer can sometimes go from occasional antagonist to the show's true hero. Similar to Yennefer of Vengerberg, Mara Jade is a complicated character, and her allegiances are not always clear. Chalotra could play Emperor's hand Mara Jade as interestingly as Jedi Master Mara Jade, perhaps in a story that covers different moments from the character's life. Similarities between The Witcher's Yennefer and Star Wars’ Mara aside, Anya Chalotra as Mara Jade would be a great cast decision.

Emily Blunt joining the Star Wars universe would be massive news, regardless of the character she was to play. Be it in sci-fi stories such as Edge of Tomorrow, grounded dramas such as Sicario, or fantasy adventures such as Jungle Cruise, Emily Blunt-led action films are usually great. Luke Skywalker's Jedi Order is bound to end in tragedy in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but Star Wars has at least two decades to cover in which Skywalker was a Jedi Master. Seeing Emily Blunt as Mara Jade leading a Jedi Order alongside Luke, even if briefly, could not sound more exciting.

From The Babysitter to Scream 6, Samara Weaving stole the show in several horror movies. Still, while Weaving can be considered one of the modern Scream Queens, the actress would also be perfect for an action-oriented role such as Star Wars’ Mara Jade. Weaving can pull off the scariness of a former Imperial who served Emperor Palpatine – assuming that this part of Mara Jade's Legends backstory is brought into canon. Weaving can also make for a great smuggler Mara Jade, perhaps even channeling a bit of Han Solo. Finally, Samara Weaving as Jedi Master Mara Jade in a Star Wars movie sounds incredibly promising.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw is already part of an IP-based franchise, the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Mbatha-Raw played judge Ravonna Renslayer in Loki season 1, a key role that might tie into upcoming Marvel movies such as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. Ravonna is confirmed to return in Loki season 2, which has already been filmed. Interestingly, during the production of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, there were rumors about Gugu Mbatha-Raw potentially joining the Star Wars universe in Episode VIII. While that never happened, Mbatha-Raw would be a much better addition to the Star Wars franchise in a long-term role such as Mara Jade.

Rachel Brosnahan, best known for her role as Miriam Maisel in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, could make for a quite interesting Mara Jade in a Star Wars movie. All five seasons of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, for which Brosnahan was nominated for several awards, showcased the actress’ range. Brosnahan's portrayal of Miriam Maisel may have nothing to do with a sci-fi warrior from a galaxy far, far away, but it highlighted just how versatile the actress is. Rachel Brosnahan can easily go from comedy to drama, a quality that would surely help bring Mara Jade from the Expanded Universe pages to the screen.

Academy Award-winner actress Alicia Vikander, who won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2016 for her role in The Danish Girl, would be a fantastic choice for the role of Mara Jade. Vikander is not strange to big franchises and action-packed roles, as she starred in films such as Jason Bourne (2016), The Man From U.N.C.L.E., and Tomb Raider (2018). Alicia Vikander as a Jedi Master, especially one with so much potential in terms of origin story and future, would make any upcoming Star Wars movie or TV show more exciting.

The previous Mara Jade fancast all assumed that a canon version of the Heir to the Empire character would follow the Expanded Universe chronology and introduce her shortly after the events of Return of the Jedi. However, Star Wars could go for a different approach to Mara Jade's story and introduce her in the sequel trilogy timeline – perhaps during Rey's New Jedi Order movie. If so, Academy Award-winning actress Julianne Moore would be the most perfect choice for Mara Jade. Moore has been a popular Mara Jade fancast since the character's inception, after all. Star Wars could finally make it a reality, perhaps introducing Mara Jade in the sequel timeline before revisiting her in the past.