No Jar Jar Binks Or Ewoks In Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Earlier today in Los Angeles, Disney held a global press event for Star Wars: The Force Awakens — we covered it live and you can read all about it by clicking here — and at one point Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy revealed that Ewoks and Jar Jar Binks will not appear in the upcoming film.

“Can you talk about what’s NOT in the movie?” celebrity moderator Mindy Kaling (The Office, The Mindy Project) asked Kennedy. She replied, “Jar Jar is definitely not in the movie. Ewoks are not in the movie.” Then Kennedy jokingly added, “That was because Harrison [Ford] insisted.”

Ewoks, a primitive species (inspired by Wookies) of furred bipeds living on the moon of Endor, helped the Rebel Alliance triumph over the Empire by disabling the Imperial shield generator, subduing the stormtroopers and destroying and commandeering AT-ST scout walkers in Return of the Jedi (1983). I personally like the cute, fuzzy creatures, but there are some fans that aren’t keen on them.

As for Jar Jar, you would have to be George Lucas or a rebellious teenager trying too hard to be cool in order to say the Goofy-inspired character was your favorite one from the Star Wars universe. The well-meaning Gungan is often given too much credit for the the prequels being less than satisfying, however, Jar Jar didn’t make them any better either. He won’t be missed.

The film stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Max Von Sydow. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk are producing with Tommy Harper and Jason McGatlin serving as executive producers. The screenplay is by Lawrence Kasdan & J.J. Abrams and Michael Arndt.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens in U.S. theaters on December 18.