Freddie Prinze Jr Addresses Kanan Jarrus’ Possible Live-Action Debut in Star Wars (Exclusive)

A lot of Star Wars animation fans have been sorely missing the character of Kanan Jarrus (aka Caleb Dune), one of the few remaining Jedi in the era of the Empire’s rise. Kanan was one of the main characters in the Star Wars Rebels animated series of the 2010s – but unfortunately (late spoilers) he didn’t make it out alive. 

However, even though Kanan is now one with the Force, Star Wars has been opening all kinds of doors (literal and figurative) for animated characters to make a return in live-action form. Fans have been speculating that Kanan could be one of the next Star Wars animated characters to get a live-action adaptation – and Kanan voice actor Freddie Prinze Jr. is someone have wanted to see onscreen! 

ComicBook.com got a chance to sit down with Freddie Prinze Jr. to talk about his new podcast series That Was Pretty Scary with co-host Jon Lee Brody. During that talk, we had to ask Prinze how he felt about all the Star Wars animated characters getting live-action appearances – specifically how he felt about the possibility of Kanan coming to live-action. 

In Freddie Prinze Jr.’s own words, he’s done with Kanan and wants the character’s end to be just that: 

“Kanana’s story – at least for me – is done, I thought it ended beautifully. People cried, I was very happy for that. I don’t mean that like a jerk: our goal was to make you cry. I didn’t even want to do the little voice over in the last Star Wars movie [The Rise of Skywalker]. I thought it felt forced.”

Prinze was indeed one of the Star Wars actors brought in to do voiceover work during Rey’s (Daisey Ridley) climatic battle with Darth Sidious’ clone in TROS, where various Jedi from the Skywalker Saga all communed with Rey through the Force. It wasn’t the kind “surprise cameo” that fans really want; however, series like The Mandalorian and Obi-Wan have featured major character/actor returns not thought possible – such as Hayden Christensen’s Anakin or Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker. In that sense, Prinze could absolutely play a live-action Kanan in a flashback sequence – and the upcoming Ahsoka Tano Disney+ series could very well offer fans such a moment, given its direct ties to Star Wars Rebels. Only problem is: Freddie Prinze Jr. isn’t looking to expand on Kanan’s role in Star Wars in any kind of way: 

“To me, every time I’m asked to do Kanan it waters down what was a beautiful ending… It’s this amazing powerful moment,” Prinze admits. “So for me, that story’s been told, and it’s done, and I wouldn’t have any interest in that. And it would be weird to play a different character in that universe, so I don’t have any ambition to be in the Star Wars Universe.”

Well, with Star Wars Rebels characters Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi), Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and even Christensen’s Anakin all coming back for the Ahsoka series, fans will still be hoping (against hope) that Freddie Prinze Jr.’s Kanan will also get a cameo somehow… 

Star Wars: Ahsoka is in development for Disney.