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Notes -
There's a surprising amount of evidence. The theory has been around for a long time. I first heard it around 2005, before the Prequels had finished airing.
Some more tidbits of evidence:
Ahmed Best gave interviews at the time Phantom Menace was released, saying Jar Jar would have a big role to play in the remaining movies and implying a twist. Sorry I can't provide a link, this just comes from my own memory of late night talk shows 20+ years ago
Count Dooku was not planned to be the villain of Ep 2. The original novelisation of Phantom Menace had Yoda as Qui-Gon's master. Reprints then inserted Dooku in the middle.
We see a character design for Darth Jar Jar in a Clone Wars episode (S1E8: Bombad Jedi).
The most convincing evidence for me, however, was reading Asimov's "Foundation and Empire" immediately before a rewatch of Phantom Menace (Jar Jar is the Mule).
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