Star Wars: Jar Jar Binks Actor Confirms He Isn’t in Obi-Wan Kenobi

This week’s announcement from Lucasfilm that Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi was starting production imminently also came with the exciting news that Hayden Christensen would be returning to the series for the first time since Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, but, unfortunately, Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best confirms that fans shouldn’t expect to see him in the series. From a narrative standpoint, given that Kenobi cut himself off from his past connections, it’s understandable that he wouldn’t be hanging out with Binks, but with rumors claiming the new show would feature flashbacks to the Clone Wars, fans will surely be disappointed that they won’t get to see the beloved Gungan anytime soon.

“Congrats my friends. Looking forward to seeing all these wonderful artists on screen,” Best tweeted in response to the official announcement. However, when a fan inferred that Best would also be part of the series, the actor confirmed, “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.”

Best’s connection to Star Wars and its fandom has been complicated over the years, as the older audiences who witnessed the goofy Gungan in the prequel trilogy failed to connect with the jester-like alien, earning Best a toxic backlash against his performance. As the years went by and the younger audiences whose first foray into the franchise was that trilogy grew older, Best got to connect with those fans and learn how beloved he was among an entire generation of audiences.

After years away from the franchise, Best returned as the host of Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge, a game show geared towards young participants. In that series, Best played Kelleran Beq, an all-new Jedi Master.

Sadly, despite fans connecting with the family-friendly series, Best also cast doubt on returning for more episodes.

When a fan said they were looking forward to Jar Jar or Kelleran Beq making a return further down the line, Best confessed, “I don’t know how likely either of those will be, but it brings me joy to know that I’ve brought joy to the galaxy.”

Stay tuned for details on the future of the Star Wars franchise.

Are you disappointed we won’t be seeing Best in the franchise anytime soon? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!