Star Wars has historically been one of the most successful film franchises in history. In the past few decades, it has delved further into the entertainment industry by expanding into television series. Like the cinematic releases, fans and audiences have adored the episodic projects. They have praised them for exploring the lore of the Star Wars universe with ever greater detail and shedding light on several notable characters and stories that otherwise would have been left in the dark.
That being said, one specific Star Wars show explored the furthest corners of the galaxy in ways that no other show had (or could) – Star Wars: Visions.
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The anthology series that debuted last year on Disney+ was the first Star Wars project that focused on characters and stories that had virtually nothing to do with the more popular and well-known Star Wars canon. Each episode was written and animated by a different anime studio. They all showcased different characters and planets that Star Wars fans had never gotten the opportunity to truly appreciate on screen.
With all of that in mind, the visuals and stories of the episodes were all so spectacular and unique that audiences might have missed the A-list actors that were starring in them.
Simu Liu Voiced One of the Most Important Characters
Marvel Studios
While the fifth episode of the series is widely considered to be a favorite, audiences might be surprised to hear that one of the MCU’s newest heroes, Simu Liu, actually voiced one of the most important characters in the episode - the sabersmith Lah Zhima.
While Kara was undoubtedly the star of the episode (and hopefully a future spinoff series), it was her father who was assigned the task of constructing seven lightsabers for the Margrave to hand out to the Force-sensitive beings. Unfortunately, audiences know that there was a Sith plot to destroy the Margrave and his attempts to restore the Jedi Order, which resulted in Zhima being killed for the seven lightsabers that he had created.
RELATED: Star Wars Visions: Which Episodes Deserve Their Own Series
Regardless, Zhima’s ability to create lightsabers that changed color based on whether the user was a Jedi or a Sith was one of the coolest revelations and inventions in the entire Star Wars universe (and that’s saying something). For audiences to find out that the amazing sabersmith was voiced by none other than Shang-Chi, only adds to how awesome the character is.
David Harbour Takes the Role of a Wise Master
Another fan-favorite episode, another recent MCU star. Episode 7, entitled “The Elder,” centered around a Jedi Master and his Padawan stumbling upon an aging Sith who wielded two dagger-like lightsabers. The elder was creepy and horrifying all at the same time and seemed to revel in his ability to cut down anything in his path. So, when the Padawan happened upon the elder during the episode, audiences immediately knew that he wouldn’t stand a chance against the clearly superior Sith.
However, the Jedi Master, Tajin, was a more than capable match for his aging opponent and managed to cut down the Sith before he could inflict any more damage. The master himself was so graceful and poised in not just his abilities but also his manner of speaking that audiences could have easily missed that the wise master was voiced by David Harbour, the Red Guardian of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well as being known for his role as Jim Hopper in Stranger Things.
With Harbour usually getting the roles of tough and rugged men due to his burly figure, his ability to calmly deliver the wise words of Master Tajin throughout the episode gave fans a nice change of pace to his characters and allowed Harbour to truly show off his acting range.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt Gives a Memorable Performance
This episode might not have been the most popular among fans, but the star of the show will definitely have fans turning their heads. Episode 2 of the anthology series focused on an intergalactic band that had to save one of their members after being captured by Boba Fett and Jabba the Hutt.
In addition to being the only episode in the series that featured characters from the Star Wars canon, the episode itself was the only one to not feature lightsabers or the Force at all – it was literally just about an intergalactic band.
RELATED: Why Star Wars: Visions Needs Multiple Future Seasons
Again, the episode wasn’t the most popular in terms of its storyline. Still, audiences might be intrigued to learn that the headband member, Jay, was voiced by none other than Joseph Gordon-Levitt, one of the stars of The Dark Knight Returns, Inception, Project Power, 500 Days of Summer, and countless other major Hollywood projects.
The A-list actor has done very little voice-work over his career but had fans absolutely flabbergasted when they heard his voice ringing out during the band’s song at the conclusion of the episode. Again, the plot might not have been a fan favorite, but Joseph Gordon-Levitt certainly gave a memorable performance.
