It’s going on 20 years (!) since Liam Neeson embodied the great and powerful Qui-Gon Jinn for The Phantom Menace, but it’s looking increasingly likely that the actor will circle back to reprise as the fan-favorite Jedi for Lucasfilm’s nascent Obi-Wan Kenobi spinoff.
The Star Wars anthology pic is still simmering in the formative stages of production, where Stephen Daldry is reportedly in the process of formulating a script – chances are he’ll wind up directing the prequel movie, too. Be that as it may, Liam Neeson recently spoke to Japanese outlet The River (h/t Heroic Hollywood) about his life and career in Hollywood, before teasing a possible second coming for his Qui-Gon Jinn.
The River: People want to see you swinging lightsaber again.
Liam Neeson: How much? [laughs] TR: No progress?
Neeson: Nobody has asked! But I’m dead anyway. I’m finished. Darth Maul killed my one.
TR: You can be a ghost.
Neeson: Could do, yeah. Anything is possible, right? Star Wars.
Anything is possible. Of course, it’s by no means a confirmation, and welcoming Neeson back for Kenobi: A Star Wars Story (tentative title) will undoubtedly present some logistical challenges of its own. Still, the mere fact that the towering Northern Irish actor has considered the possibility will be enough to keep hope alive – even if his involvement is limited to a cameo/voice role similar to the one in Attack of the Clones.
It also leaves us mulling over the million-dollar question: will Ewan McGregor do good on his word and headline Lucasfilm’s offshoot as the young Obi-Wan? He’s certainly keen on the idea, though until we have some official news from the Powers That Be, treat this rumored piece of intel as just that.
