Even though Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace has its fair share of flaws, Liam Neeson's portrayal of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn isn't one of them. The character met an end at the hands of Darth Maul in the film but that hasn't stopped fans from hoping that he could somehow return. The upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ series seemed like the perfect project for that return to happen but Liam Neeson is putting any hint of rumors to rest that his return is imminent.
Neeson revealed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that he will not be appearing on the upcoming Star Wars series. His response was pretty quick and to the point, which probably puts the final hint of hope to bed for fans. When asked if he was involved with the series the actor simply said "No, I don't think so. No, I haven't been approached." It's possible that Neeson could by lying to keep a big secret but I'm leaning towards the side of him telling the truth about not being involved.
The Obi-Wan Kenobi series began shooting in April and the story is set 10 years after the events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. In addition to Ewan McGregor returning as the titular character, the series will also see the return of Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader. Joining McGregor and Christensen is a truly interesting ensemble cast that includes Joel Edgerton, Moses Ingram, Bonnie Piesse, Kumail Nanjani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell, and Benny Safdie.
The Obi-Wan Kenobi series was originally announced at the D23 Expo in August of 2019. Deborah Chow is set to direct the show and will executive produce with Hossein Amini, who also wrote the series. McGregor, Kathleen Kennedy, and Tracey Seaward will also serve as executive producers on the project.
I guess fans hoping for Qui-Gon Jinn to return in Force ghost form will have to put those hopes to rest. I guess the news is a little frustrating because Obi-Wan has spent his exile learning how to communicate with Qui-Gon so a cameo from Neeson would make sense. They could also reanimate Qui-Gon Jinn with CGI and to use Neeson at all but I don't think that would go over well with fans either. Maybe it's time to look to the future and stop hoping that characters from the past will be making some kind of a return.
Would YOU want to see Liam Neeson return as Qui-Gon Jinn?