Actor Ahmed Best, who starred as Jar Jar Binks in the Star Wars prequel movies - The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith - will not be returning to the floppy-eared character in Disney+'s upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi TV show.
The actor who played Obi-Wan in those three movies, Ewan McGregor, is very much starring in the spin-off show - and is excited to be donning the Jedi robes again. Also appearing will be Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker, Game of Thrones star Indira Varma, and Moses Ingram who recently appeared in The Queen's Gambit. Joel Edgerton, who played Owen Lars in the prequel trilogy, will also return - and the full major cast can be checked out here.
For Best, however, there will be no reprising of his role as Jar Jar, the divisive Gungan who either utterly ruined The Phantom Menace for you, or was merely a bit-part player in that film's overall terribleness. (I rewatched it recently, with the kids, and it is just appalling, huh.) Slashfilm reports that he won't be appearing, and the actor has said as much himself, on Twitter.
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"Thanks for the love, but I will not be in this series," Best posted, in a quote-tweeted reply to a comment about his involvement in Obi-Wan Kenobi. He adds, however, that he "would've loved to be a part of it," which makes us a bit sad, NGL. Disney, pick up the phone?
Best continues: "But I'm ecstatic to see folks who I dearly love back together doing great things." The American actor enjoyed a string of smaller movie roles after his motion-capture and vocal performances in Star Wars episodes one, two and three, and has also voiced Jar Bar Binks in associated media, including animated LEGO shorts and the Clone Wars animated series. In 2020, he performed various voices in Naughty Dog's multi-award-winning The Last of Us Part II, and played Carver Timmerman, Jide and James Anderson in Fallout 76's Wastelanders expansion.
In related Star Wars content here on GAMINGbible, please check out our in-depth feature on the making of - and cancellation of - Star Wars: First Assault. It's a hefty read that'll maybe have you cursing Disney's stirring in Star Wars matters. Assuming you're not, right now, because of this Jar Jar denial. (Unless he is, but without Best, but we don't want to think about that...)
Featured Image Credit: Lucasfilm Ltd, Disney