George Lucas Shelved Major Obi-Wan Twist in 'The Phantom Menace'

A proposed storyline would have dramatically altered the Star Wars narrative by swapping the identities of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn.

Concept artist Iain McCaig revealed that George Lucas initially planned for a significant twist in 'The Phantom Menace' involving a name swap between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn.
The original idea was for the older Jedi, played by Liam Neeson, to be named Obi-Wan, while the younger Jedi, played by Ewan McGregor, was to be Qui-Gon.
At the film's end, Qui-Gon would adopt the name Obi-Wan after his master's death, adding a new layer to Alec Guinness's portrayal in 'A New Hope'.
Lucas ultimately decided against the twist, opting for a more straightforward narrative, which preserved the continuity of the established character arcs.
This change avoided potential confusion and allowed Ewan McGregor to continue portraying the iconic role of Obi-Wan Kenobi in subsequent films and series.