Top Five Actors Who Could Portray Revan
Image Credit: Lucasfilm Video game capture
Darth Revan is a complex character that Star Wars fans are itching to see in a live-action format. Revan first appeared in the 2003 BioWare and LucasArts video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, which is now part of the Star Wars Legends continuity. Originally in the game, player can customize Revan's appearance and gender. Although the character was canonically listed as a male later on, many remember Revan being whatever they wanted them to be. Revan returned to canon when they were mentioned in the compendium The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary (2019), a reference book created by none other than senior Lucasfilm Story Group member Pablo Hidalgo.
Revan had an incredibly rich backstory. The Jedi knight lived ~4000 BBY. He mastered both the Light and Dark sides of the Force during his long life, making him one of the most powerful Jedi to have ever existed. He fell to the dark side and redeemed himself on more than one occasion. He was held prisoner and endured mental tortures for hundreds of years. He battled some of his own descendants before finally becoming one with the Force after returning to the light side.
With Leslye Headland tapped as writer and showrunner of The Acolyte series, I look forward to her touching on their lore, especially since the show will focus on the emergence of the Dark Side in the final days of the High Republic era. I am thinking back to that original, changeable version of Revan. It would be neat to have Revan as a woman. Given her success in normalizing LGBTQIA stories, anything is possible with Headland. If Darth Revan were a woman again, here are my top 5 choices of actresses to play her.
#5 Samira Wiley
Image Credit: Out.com
Samira Wiley is one of the most desired actresses in Hollywood. She had an excellent run as Poussey Washington on Netflix's Orange Is the New Black. Wiley earned an Emmy nomination in 2017 and a win in 2018 for her portrayal of Moira in The Handmaid's Tale on Hulu. With her unique ability to dig deep into her characters, this Julliard graduate is capable of handling Revan's drama. Though she has not yet taken on an action-heavy role, Wiley is more than capable of stepping up to the challenge.
#4 Adina Porter
Image Credit: twitter.com, profile picture
Veteran actress Adina Porter is one of the first names that came to mind when crafting this list. Porter is an award-winning actress on both stage and film. With a career spanning over 30 years and several genres, she has more than proven she can be Revan. Her performance in the Roanoke version of Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story earned Porter a Saturn Award nomination. In addition, her turn as Indra, a leader of one of the Grounder clans on CW's The 100, demonstrated her abilities as an action star.
#3 Aubrey Plaza
Image Credit: wikipedia.com, Gage Skidmore
Everyone loves Plaza's quirky, memorable character April Ludgate from Parks and Recreation. A graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, Plaza certainly has the acting chops to take on a serious role like Revan. She can play complex personalities, as seen in her role in Ingrid Goes West. In addition, she is no stranger to the superhero comic book world. Plaza all but stole the show in her portrayal of Shadow King (Amahl Farouk) and Lenny Busker on FX's Legion. Her deadpan style and expressive face make her a unique choice to play Revan's charismatic side.
# 2 Juju Chan Szeto
Image Credit: Imdb.com
According to many who have seen her in the fighting arena, Juju Chan is the female Bruce Lee. The title came about when she played his little sister in The Young Boxer (2011). However, she is humble about this comparison, stating that it is nice to be named Bruce Lee "anything". She uses the title as motivation to live up to that standard. Though Chan is known for her nunchakus skills, she also holds a black belt 3rd Dan in Taekwondo, and has won several international Taekwondo competitions. Chan is also a disciple of Wing Chun Grand Master, Joseph Cheng. Her talent does not stop there. She is an award-winning Cantonese pop star in Hong Kong. Chan has starred in several iconic martial arts movies and shows. Among them are Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny, and the Netflix series Wu Assassins. Her action skills alone would make her a compelling Revan. As another graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, we know she has the acting chops to convey this complex character.
#1 Janelle Monáe
Image Credit: Variety.com, Sophie Holland
Janelle Monáe is a powerhouse of talent. She first made her mark in the music world, with several award-winning albums. Not only that, she cultivated talented individuals on her music label, such as Jidenna. Her collaborative style earned her recognition across the entertainment world. She is also a talented actress as well with a knack for picking scripts and characters that stand out among the best of their class. To date, she has starred in Oscar-caliber films such as Moonlight and Hidden Figures.
Monáe is a confessed nerdy science fiction enthusiast. Many years ago, in an interview with The Cut, she stated that she retweeted the Steven Universe meme "Are you a boy or a girl? I'm an experience" because it resonated with her deeply "especially as someone who has pushed boundaries of gender since the beginning of my career. I feel my feminine energy, my masculine energy, and energy I can't even explain." Her recent role in Antebellum shows that she is more than capable of dramatic as well as action roles. She would do wonders with a character like Darth Revan. As a big geek, Monáe has probably contemplated this role for herself already.
These are just a few of the women who would excel at portraying Revan. Many are also out and proud members of the LGBTQA community. They rise to the top of my list because of their ability to create memorable characters who possess the same depth as Darth Revan. It is up to the Star Wars franchise to decide how bold they will be in pushing the boundaries with this iconic character that we have yet to see on screen.