Jar Jar Binks has probably garnered more hate from fans and filmgoers than the entirety of Lucasfilm’s output this decade, but for better or worse, it seems that the clownish Gungan won’t have a chance to redeem himself in the first issue of Star Wars: Age of Republic Special, with Newsarama reporting that his section has been cut.
The upcoming anthology comic was originally going to feature a story written by Chip Zdarsky, whose previous work includes Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man and Marvel Two-in-One. This segment was said to focus on an encounter between Jar Jar and a Rancor, but for reasons undisclosed, the story’s no more
There’s been a little speculation that Zdarsky is simply too busy to handle the project, though some fans may also be tempted to read into this development as somehow connected to the character’s ongoing infamy.
Indeed, earlier this year, Ahmed Best even recalled receiving death threats from viewers in the aftermath of The Phantom Menace, and said that he considered suicide amidst the backlash. Shortly afterwards, The Force Awaken’s own Simon Pegg said he felt ashamed for being part of this widespread ridicule, explaining that he never stopped to think that there was a real person behind the CGI figure.
Evidently, Jar Jar is a character with a lot of baggage, and it might’ve been interesting to see if Zdarsky’s work somehow acknowledged the Gungan’s mass unpopularity, or even tried to fix some of his issues. But while we may never know how Jar Jar’s comeback would’ve played out, Star Wars: Age of Republic Special still has plenty more stories to spare, with the first issue due for release on January 16th, 2019.
