The upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series coming to Disney+ has announced an impressive ensemble cast set to star in the show, but actor Ahmed Best has confirmed on Twitter that Jar Jar Binks won’t be among the show’s characters. While fans have jumped into a thread to insist Best is trying to preserve a surprise cameo or more substantial appearance, Best is insisting he hasn’t provided any motion capture or voice acting for the character.
Thanks for the love, but I will not be in this series. As much as I would’ve loved to be a part of it. But I’m ecstatic to see folks who I love dearly back together doing great things. https://t.co/5bzLq9yslh
— Ahmed BEst (@ahmedbest) March 29, 2021
Disney announced recently that production “begins soon” on Obi-Wan Kenobi, which is being described as a “special event series,” but long before the series got to this point back in January 2020, there were already rumors that Jar Jar Binks would appear, sporting a beard. This appears not to be the case. Best has steadily been up front and self-aware about the polarizing character, both lampooning Jar Jar in Robot Chicken: Star Wars and extending his legacy with performances for video games and spinoff series like Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Even with Jar Jar out, the Obi-Wan series still has some impressive pull. Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen are set to reprise their roles as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker aka Darth Vader, respectively. Beyond those two notable names, the Star Wars universe is also drafting many new faces including Moses Ingram, Kumail Nanjiani, and Indira Varma. The full announced cast, as detailed from Disney, is:
- Ewan McGregor
- Hayden Christensen
- Moses Ingram
- Joel Edgerton
- Bonnie Piesse
- Kumail Nanjiani
- Indira Varma
- Rupert Friend
- O’Shea Jackson Jr.
- Sung Kang
- Simone Kessell
- Benny Safdie
The executive producers will be Kathleen Kennedy and Ewan McGregor, along with Michelle Rejwan, and The Mandalorian’s Deborah Chow. Joby Harold (Edge of Tomorrow) is both writer and an executive producer.
Disney also recently released a new trailer for the recently announced Star Wars series, The Bad Batch, which is appropriately expected to premiere on May 4.
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