Star Wars Was Smart To Cast Ray Park As Darth Maul (& Not Benicio Del Toro)
Despite being a left-field choice at the time, Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace was right to cast Ray Park as Darth Maul after Benicio Del Toro left the project. First released domestically on May 19th, 1999, Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace opened to a mixed bag of reviews, with George Lucas' much-hyped prequel movie failing to live up to the almost impossible levels of expectations set by the original Star Wars trilogy 16 years prior. Yet despite not scaling the heights of its predecessor, Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi, The Phantom Menace did make some inspired casting decisions that have iconically endured in contemporary culture.
Characters such as Liam Neeson's Qui-Gon Jinn remain hugely popular within the Star Wars franchise despite the Jedi master's limited screen time, while Ewan McGregor's portrayal of Obi-Wan Kenobi has become synonymous with the character, as evidenced by Disney+'s upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series. The Phantom Menace further showcased George Lucas' keen eye for burgeoning talent, with both Natalie Portman's Queen Padmé Amidala and Keira Knightley's Sabé featured at early points in their respective A-list careers.
Related: What If Qui-Gon Beat Darth Maul (& Trained Anakin) In The Star Wars Prequels
Yet George Lucas' smartest The Phantom Menace casting decision was picking Ray Park to play the foreboding Zabrak Darth Maul. A relatively unknown stunt double at the time, Park's Darth Maul portrayal was hailed as one of the best aspects of The Phantom Menace despite the hype surrounding Benicio Del Toro's potential Maul portrayal. As a result, here's why Star Wars was smart to cast Ray Park as Darth Maul, as well as the story behind Benicio Del Toro's association with
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