When Lucasfilm first announced they were letting international animation houses play in the Star Wars sandbox, people were skeptical. Fans wondered if it would even feel like Star Wars. But then the first volume dropped, and honestly, the Star Wars Visions cast list alone was enough to shut down the doubters. We aren't just talking about a few voice actors doing "space voices." We’re talking about a massive, global collision of talent that ranges from Marvel superstars to Japanese legends.
It’s weird. In one episode, you have Joseph Gordon-Levitt playing a wandering ronin-style Jedi, and in the next, you’ve got Alison Brie going full villain mode. This isn't just a side project. It’s a blueprint.
The Power of the Star Wars Visions Cast in Volume 1
The first volume was a love letter to anime. Because of that, the Star Wars Visions cast had two distinct identities: the original Japanese voice actors and the English dub stars. If you’re a purist, you probably watched the Japanese version first. You heard Masaki Okada and Junya Enoki. But for the English-speaking audience, the star power was distracting in the best way possible.
Take "The Duel." Brian Tee brought this rugged, weary weight to the Ronin. It didn't feel like a cartoon. It felt like a Kurosawa film that happened to have lightsabers. Then you look at "The Twins." Getting Neil Patrick Harris and Alison Brie to play Karre and Am? That was an inspired choice. They leaned into the over-the-top, high-energy drama that Studio Trigger is known for. It wasn't subtle. It was loud. It was chaotic. It was perfect.
Other notable names from the first batch included:
- Lucy Liu as the Bandit Leader
- Temuera Morrison (of course) returning as Boba Fett
- David Harbour
- Henry Golding
- George Takei
Seeing George Takei’s name in a Star Wars project felt like a long-overdue bridge between the two biggest "Star" franchises in history. He voiced Senshuu in "The Akakiri," and his distinct baritone gave the episode a gravitas that a lesser-known actor might have missed.
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Volume 2: A Global Shift in Talent
By the time Volume 2 rolled around, the scope expanded. Lucasfilm moved beyond Japan and looked at studios in Ireland, South Africa, Chile, France, and beyond. This changed the DNA of the Star Wars Visions cast significantly.
"Screecher’s Reach" from Cartoon Saloon is a masterpiece of folk-horror. Anjelica Huston lent her voice to Mother, and her performance is chilling. She doesn't have to scream to be terrifying. It's all in the cadence. It’s that old-school Hollywood authority.
Then you have "In the Stars" from the Chilean studio Punkrobot. Kate Dickie—who many remember as the terrifying Lysa Arryn from Game of Thrones—brought a raw, desperate humanity to her role. It’s these choices that make Visions stand out. They aren't just casting "names" for the sake of the poster; they’re casting actors who understand the specific cultural lens each studio brings to the table.
Why Voice Casting in Animation is Often Overlooked
People think voice acting is easy. It isn't. You can't use your face. You can't use your body. You only have the breath in your lungs and the vibration of your vocal cords. In Visions, the actors have to compete with some of the most experimental animation styles we’ve seen in decades.
In "I Am Your Mother" (the Aardman episode), the casting of Maxine Peake as Kalina Kalfus was brilliant. Aardman's style is tactile and British to its core. Peake’s performance grounded the wacky claymation in a real mother-daughter dynamic. Without that grounded performance, the episode would just be a funny short about a space race. With her, it’s a story about embarrassment, love, and growing up.
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The Impact of Returning Legends
We have to talk about the legacy actors. Whenever a Star Wars Visions cast includes someone like Temuera Morrison or Ian McDiarmid (who has voiced Palpatine in various capacities across the years), it tethers these wild, non-canon stories to the main universe.
In the episode "The Ninth Jedi," which many fans want to see turned into a full series, the voice cast had to carry the weight of an entire era we know nothing about. Kimiko Glenn and Simu Liu (in the English dub) had to make us care about a future where the Jedi are extinct—again. Simu Liu, fresh off his Shang-Chi success, brought a heroic but mysterious energy to Lah Zhima. It’s that kind of casting that makes these shorts feel "big."
Breaking Down the "English Dub vs. Original" Debate
There’s always a debate about how to watch Visions. Honestly? Both are valid, but they offer different experiences. The Japanese cast for Volume 1 featured some of the most decorated seiyuu in the industry. Hiroyuki Yoshino and Akio Otsuka are royalty in the anime world.
When you switch to the English dub, the tone shifts. It becomes more of a Hollywood blockbuster experience. Neither is "better," but the Star Wars Visions cast is unique because it’s one of the few times Star Wars has been built from the ground up to support multiple linguistic interpretations so fundamentally.
Key Standouts Across Both Volumes:
- Denis Lawson: He returned to voice Wedge Antilles. For fans of the original trilogy, hearing his voice in "I Am Your Mother" was a massive "Leonardo DiCaprio pointing meme" moment.
- Hayden Christensen: While his involvement is often rumored or limited to cameos in various media, the presence of Anakin/Vader-related imagery always looms large, and the cast members who play against those shadows have a lot of work to do.
- Daisy Light: As the voice of Daal in "The Pit," she delivered one of the most emotional performances in the entire second volume. It was a story about social injustice and hope, and her voice had to carry the entire emotional climax.
What This Means for Future Star Wars Projects
The success of the Star Wars Visions cast tells Disney and Lucasfilm something important: fans don't just want the same four actors playing the same four characters. We want variety. We want to see what happens when a French studio or a South African studio looks at a Kyber crystal and sees something different.
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The diversity of the cast—both in terms of ethnicity and acting background—reflects a Star Wars that is actually "galactic." The galaxy is huge. It shouldn't all sound like it’s from the same three neighborhoods in London or Los Angeles.
How to Follow the Actors' Careers
If you loved a specific performance in Visions, your next step shouldn't be to just rewatch the episode. Many of these actors are staples in other massive franchises.
- Check out the Japanese Seiyuu: If you liked the original audio of Volume 1, look into the work of Junya Enoki. He’s the lead in Jujutsu Kaisen, one of the biggest anime on the planet.
- Follow the Indie VAs: Many of the actors in Volume 2 are prolific in the UK and European theater scenes. Actors like Sheila Atim (from "Aau’s Song") are doing incredible work on stage and in prestige cinema like The Woman King.
- Support the Studios: The real stars are often the studios themselves. Look up Studio La Cachette or Trigger. Their house style often dictates how the actors perform.
The Star Wars Visions cast represents a turning point. It’s the moment the franchise truly leaned into the "Galaxy" part of "Galaxy Far, Far Away." It’s no longer just a Western story; it’s a global one. Whether you’re a fan of the big-name cameos or the subtle performances from international newcomers, there is no denying that Visions has the most interesting cast in the history of Star Wars animation.
To get the most out of your next rewatch, try switching the audio tracks. If you watched Volume 1 in English, watch it in Japanese with subtitles. If you watched Volume 2, look up the specific regional dialects used in the Spanish or French dubs. It adds a layer of texture that most viewers completely overlook.