Coming to America contains a Darth Vader Easter egg — from the voice of the legendary Star Wars villain himself! The 1988 fish-out-of-water comedy boasts a slew of familiar faces, starring Eddie Murphy as Prince Akeem Joffer, Arsenio Hall as Semmi, and James Earl Jones as the austere King Jaffe Joffer. Jones, and his commanding voice, is instantly recognizable, but below the surface lies a charming Easter egg that pays homage to one of the talented actor’s greatest roles. If King Jaffe’s voice doesn’t conjure images of Vader, a specific line of dialogue certainly will.
Coming to America's story begins in the fictitious Kingdom of Zamunda, a wealthy African nation to which Prince Akeem is the sole heir. Growing tired of his sheltered existence in the palatial residence, where an arranged marriage awaits, the pampered prince slips away with friend Semmi to Queens, NY in search of a wife. Akeem soon finds a promising candidate, Lisa McDowell, who is an heir to a different kind of throne. Her father owns the fast food restaurant chain McDowell’s, where Akeem and Semmi find work. With a place to live and steady income, Akeem is well on his way to the American dream until King Jaffe arrives. James Earl Jones lends his commanding voice and imposing presence to the role of the austere king tasked with retrieving his son, bringing to mind a different father/son relationship from the accomplished actor’s past.
The 1980s saw a rapid rise to stardom for Eddie Murphy, but his Coming to America costar James Earl Jones had long been an exemplar of Hollywood success. Despite his recurring presence on stage and screen, Jones is perhaps best remembered for a movie in which he never appeared: The legendary actor voiced Darth Vader in George Lucas’ 1977 Star Wars and would go on to reprise his role in all subsequent sequels to date. Coming to America features a subtle nod to this role through a line King Jaffe delivers. The king's search for Akeem leads him to McDowell’s, where he learns Akeem is on a date with the owner’s daughter. The owner promises to inform Akeem of the king’s arrival. “No,” says King Jaffe. “Do not alert him to my presence. I shall deal with him myself.” It’s a subtle nod, but sci-fi fans may remember a similar line from Return of the Jedi.
In the Star Wars movie, Vader gives a similar order to Admiral Piett when the latter asks if he should hold the imperial shuttle Tydirium. Vader, knowing Luke is aboard, replies, “No. Leave them to me. I will deal with them myself.” Many films boast Star Wars Easter eggs, some more obvious than this, but not many films can claim a Darth Vader line delivered by the man himself. More than simply a recycled line, this Darth Vader Easter egg is used to convey character and theme. Much like its original use from Vader, Jaffe’s ominous line renders the air heavy with imminent confrontation. And in both films, the demanding father and independent son do, in fact, collide. Being an Easter egg and not a coincidence, King Jaffe's line is presented in a fashion that calls attention to its subtle Vader nod. Jaffe is covered in medium shots throughout the scene, except when he delivers this line, which is covered in a close-up.
James Earl Jones is instantly recognizable in Coming to America, but it’s more than just his commanding voice that conjures images of Darth Vader. King Jaffe’s desire to confront his rebellious son provides an opportunity to reference a line from Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, one that carries with it an ominous tone. There may be more Vader Easter eggs in store as Jones reprises his role as King Jaffe in the candidly named sequel, Coming 2 America, debuting next year on Amazon Prime. For Darth Vader fans, March 5, 2021 may be “a day long remembered.”
