As more and more tidbits continue to be released about the upcoming Disney+ series, Obi-Wan Kenobi, one question that hasn’t been answered is whether Liam Neeson would revise his role as Qui-Gon Jin, which he played in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.
After all, with Ewen McGregor back as Obi-Wan and Hayden Christenson returning as the young Darth Vader, it only makes sense that Qui-Gon Jin be a featured character being so closely tied to their story. Qui-Gon was one of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s teachers, and the Jedi Master was the one who discovered Anakin Skywalker on Tatooine and pushed for him to be trained as a Jedi.
Although nothing is official, the actor appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! this week and dampened hopes of Star Wars fans everywhere.
“I heard Ewan McGregor was going to do a series,” Neeson answered when the talk show host came right out and asked if he would be making an appearance in the show. “No, I don’t think so. No, I haven’t been approached.”
The Academy Award-nominated actor, perhaps best known for his Taken movies, joked that Disney and Lucasfilm probably couldn’t afford him to come back.
However, Kimmel wasn’t buying it. Like many Star Wars fans, he knows that actors are sworn to secrecy and is holding out hopes that Neeson will make a surprise appearance.
While Qui-Gon Jin was killed in a duel with Darth Maul during the Battle of Naboo, the conclusion of the Clone Wars/Prequel Trilogy revealed that the Jedi had found a way to transcend death and connect with the living through the Force. That means Neeson could appear and offer guidance to Obi-Wan.
Based on early descriptors of the series, Obi-Wan Kenobi will examine how the Jedi Master is faring 10 years after escaping Order 66, and his quest to confront (and possibly redeem?) Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker. Kenobi will also have to deal with Stormtroopers. Wouldn’t Liam Neeson’s Qui-Gon Jin be a perfect person to help?
The Obi-Wan Kenobi series is currently in production. There is no official release date, but the Disney+ show is set to debut sometime in 2022.
