Artist Imagines aShadows of the EmpireMovie With the Greatest Cast 1996 Had to Offer

In 1996 , Lucasfilm adventure on bold pace for the then - fledgling world of the Star Wars Expanded Universe : shadow of the Empire , a transmedia crossover issue that covered game , comics , books , merchandise … essentially everything but a movie . But what if they ’d belong all the way ? Artist Brandon Bird endeavor to imagine it , and then also add Nic Cage .

Bird , whose unbelievable papa culture artwe’ve feature many , many times before , whip up a Drew - Struzan - esque bill that imagines what a 1996 Shadows of the Empire movie could ’ve looked like . Alongside the sub we all experience and love like Luke , Leia , Lando and Chewie — who is seen wearing an centre patch because a ) at the meter he was in camouflage as a bounty hunter key out Snoova and because b ) it was the ‘ 90 — there are some familiar faces in Shadows ’ fresh part .

Edward Norton as Black Sun mob leader Prince Xizor ? Excellent . Helen Hunt as Guri the human - replica droid assassin ? Delightful .

Argentina’s President Javier Milei (left) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., holding a chainsaw in a photo posted to Kennedy’s X account on May 27. 2025.

But nothing — nothing — is as goddamn inspired as Nicolas Cage as Shadows ’ dare Han Solo knockoff , Dash Rendar , with his gloriously recollective locks in good order out of his 1997 hit Con Air . I ’m so mad that this was n’t actually a matter . The Shadows of the Empire telecasting secret plan for the N64 might have really been well ( well , beyond that first Hoth level ) if Dash had had the voice and alikeness of Nic Cage .

Alas , we ’re left to dream what could’ve — and should ’ve been . I opine Cage himself would deem that the better outcome , so we ’d be left toimagine ourselves the best Shadows of the Empire moving-picture show possible in our head . If you desire to do more than that , you’re able to purchase prints of Bird ’s excellent posting at the connexion below . And then check out out all his other work as well .

[ Brandon Bird ]

William Duplessie