Star Wars Rebels Actor Confirms He Is Done Playing Kanan Jarrus
The upcoming Star Wars: Ahsoka is often being considered a live-action sequel to the animated Star Wars Rebels, and while promotional materials for the new project have confirmed beloved Rebels characters will appear in the series, don't count on Freddie Prinze Jr. making a return as Kanan Jarrus. This isn't only because Kanan sacrificed himself in the final episodes of Rebels, but also because Prinze himself is done playing the character, with the actor even revealing that his vocal cameos in follow-up projects were done only as a favor and he was reluctant to do them at all. Star Wars: Ahsoka is set to premiere on Disney+ in August.
When asked by YouTuber Kristian Harloff about his vocal cameo in Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Prinze noted, "I was asked to, yeah. I didn't necessarily want to. I feel like every time you hear Kanan's voice since Rebels ended, it really kind of dilutes his impact."
In regards to his vocal cameo in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Prinze confirmed, "I didn't want to do that either. I was asked as a favor and I feel like all my -- all their favors are used up now." In more direct response to what that would mean for Ahsoka, Prinze admitted, "No Ahsoka, I'm done with Kanan. I'm too old for that stuff."
Kanan debuted in Rebels and served as a Jedi Master to burgeoning Jedi Ezra Bridger, playing a pivotal role in Ezra's training throughout all four seasons. At the end of Season 2, Kanan was blinded by Maul, though he persisted as a heroic figure in subsequent seasons. Halfway through Season 4 of Rebels, Kanan made a fateful sacrifice to save the Ghost crew, with his demise preventing him from being an integral component of Ahsoka.
The storytelling potential of Kanan means that, even if Prinze himself is done playing the figure, we can't rule out learning more about the character. Additionally, while Kanan's death would understandably cause complications for a live-action appearance, other Rebels characters will be played in Ahsoka by performers who hadn't previously voiced them, so if Kanan was to make his way to a live-action project, a new performer could embrace the role.
Star Wars: Ahsoka is set to premiere on Disney+ in August.
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