Few characters in Star Wars history have generated as much animosity from fans as Jar Jar Binks, and if the internet was as all-encompassing back in 1999 when The Phantom Menace was first released as it is now, then you get the sense that the backlash would have made the treatment of Kelly Marie Tran’s Rose Tico look pale by comparison.
Landing a major supporting role in the first new Star Wars movie for almost two decades could have set actor Ahmed Best up for life, but the overwhelming negativity towards both his performance and Jar Jar as a whole had a huge impact on his career, with the vast majority of his output ever since having largely comprised of voicing the infamous Gungan in various forms of media relating to a galaxy far, far away.
Best has also spoken of the issues that plagued his personal life as a result of the backlash to the character, but even though Jar Jar has frequently been named as the most-hated figure in Star Wars history, there’ve still been rumors of a potential return to the fold as Lucasfilm seems determined to atone for the sins of the past and get the fans back on board after years of discontent during the Disney era.
In a recent social media exchange with a fan, the 46 year-old admitted that he’d be game to play Jar Jar once again in a live-action Star Wars project, but it would all depend on the story.
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Are we now living in a world where people have become so disenchanted with Star Wars that we could see an online campaign launched in an effort to bring back Jar Jar Binks? Probably not, but Ahmed Best will be returning to the franchise nonetheless as the host of game-show Jedi Temple Challenge, which is set to premiere on YouTube next week.
