Liam Neeson made his triumphant and emotional return to the Star Wars franchise this year, 23 years after he made his first live-action appearance as Qui-Gon Jinn in The Phantom Menace. The Hollywood icon made a surprise appearance in the finale of Obi-Wan Kenobi much to the delight of fans all over the galaxy.
Of course, most of us were already expecting him to show up in the series at one point, especially after the casting rumors circulated all over the internet but Neeson did his best to dismiss his involvement in the series.
Admittedly, as much as he'd love to reprise the role of Obi-Wan's Jedi mentor, the 70-year-old actor said he'd only agree if it happened on the big screen. Well, Neeson still seems to stand by his previous statement but the idea of Qui-Gon Jinn being played by someone else didn't sit well with him, hence why he made the decision to put on his Jedi robe one more time.
Speaking with Chile Detail Zero to discuss his jaw-dropping comeback, Liam explained: "I was in the last episode. I’m a bit of a TV snob, but I didn’t want anyone else to play that character… Ewan is a friend. We were in Los Angeles on green screen, and Ewan, as Obi-Wan, was on a real camel, and I only had three lines of dialogue, and when we rehearsed, people started crying, it was wonderful."
Also Read: Star Wars: Liam Neeson Cried While Rehearsing Obi-Wan Kenobi Scene with Ewan McGregor
While I don't think Lucasfilm would dare to recast him as Qui-Gon, Neeson absolutely made the right call of returning to the Star Wars franchise. We still don't know if the series will actually be greenlit for a second season but Qui-Gon's appearance as a Force Ghost seems to be a direct hint that his stay in the franchise isn't over.
All episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi are streaming on Disney+.
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!