Lucasfilm remains tightlipped about Star Wars veteran James Earl Jones’ potential involvement in Obi-Wan Kenobi, despite confirming that Darth Vader will feature in the upcoming Disney+ series.
“No one [at Lucasfilm] will say” whether Jones will return to voice the franchise’s most iconic baddie, reports Entertainment Weekly. Despite the lack of an official announcement, many fans nevertheless expect that the 92-year old actor will perform Vader’s imposing vocals in Obi-Wan Kenobi, having voiced the fallen Jedi since the character first debuted in 1977’s Star Wars: A New Hope.
Jones recorded Vader’s dialogue in A New Hope‘s sequels, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. He later reprised the role for brief yet memorable cameos in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Alongside these big-screen credits, Jones also played Vader in several episodes of the Star Wars Rebels animated series.
Darth Vader’s inclusion in Obi-Wan Kenobi was first confirmed by the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ Day sizzle reel in November 2021. This footage also showcased the return of actor Hayden Christensen, who played the young Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Lucasfilm recently released a new still of Christensen in costume as Vader. Fans assume that Jones will perform the Sith Lord’s voice for scenes where the character is masked (as he did in Revenge of the Sith).
Despite the certainty of many Star Wars enthusiasts, there’s still no guarantee that Jones will be asked back for Obi-Wan Kenobi. Christensen didn’t voice Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series, and recently revealed that he wasn’t asked to play Darth Vader in Rogue One, either. “I wasn’t a part of any of those conversations about Rogue One,” said Christensen. “But I loved what they did with it. The character predates me, and it’s always been a collective effort in a lot of ways. I thought it was brilliant.”
The Canadian actor also opened up about working alongside Obi-Wan Kenobi himself, Ewan McGregor, for the first time since 2005’s Revenge of the Sith. “The first time that I saw Ewan as Obi-Wan again — that was a very special moment for me, and one that I’ll remember for a very, very long time,” he recalled. While Christensen welcomed the chance to work opposite McGregor once more, he also described donning Vader’s armor again for the first time in over 15 years as “very surreal.”
Obi-Wan Kenobi arrives on Disney+ on May 25.
Source: EW
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