Since Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, Star Wars fans have been introduced to a plethora of new characters across various mediums. One of the most fascinating has yet to appear in a movie or TV show. In the video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, players took control of Cal Kestis, an Order 66 survivor who becomes part of a daring mission to steal a Jedi Holocron listing Force-sensitive children. After Fallen Order proved to be successful, sequel Star Wars Jedi: Survivor launched in 2023. While it hasn’t been officially revealed yet, a Jedi 3 is in the works, and that shouldn’t be the end of the line for Cal Kestis.
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In a conversation with Game Rant, an anonymous Disney representative addressed Cal’s future in the Star Wars franchise. “Never say never. We’ve got his lightsaber in the park. We’ve got more Cal stories coming,” the representative said.
Cal Kestis’ Star Wars Future Explained
The quote from the Disney rep has an ambiguous nature to it. Based on the wording, it’s hard to say if it’s specifically about expanding Cal’s presence at Disney parks or in the Star Wars franchise as a whole. It’s reasonable to assume that it’s the latter. Cal could very well become more of a fixture at Galaxy’s Edge, but the theme park is more of a place for experiences, not “stories” in the traditional sense. Setting up an area where attendees can take meet-and-greet photos with the Jedi is not the same as further fleshing out his arc.
If the plan is for there to be more canon narratives involving Cal Kestis, it’ll be interesting to see how that unfolds. Obviously, gamers would enjoy seeing Cal be depicted in live-action, with actor Cameron Monaghan reprising the role. However, it remains to be seen if there will be an opportunity for that to happen. Lucasfilm seems to be shifting back to prioritizing theatrical releases over new Disney+ shows, which could limit the number of projects making their way through the pipeline. Whether or not Cal appears in one of those would depend on the time period; the Jedi games are set between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, so something set in the Reign of the Empire era could make sense. It’s also possible Cal survived into the New Republic era and could help out in the fight against Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Books or comics chronicling Cal’s adventures might be more plausible. Star Wars is a massively popular franchise, but not everyone is familiar with the video games. Having Cal play a meaningful role in a movie or TV show could run the risk of confusing general viewers who don’t follow all the ins and outs of Star Wars on a daily basis. The audience for the books is a bit more niche, so there isn’t as much pressure there. Those interested in learning more about Cal could read them, but they wouldn’t be required for those who only want to see the new movies or stream TV shows. Lucasfilm Publishing has been a valuable resource to flesh out even fan-favorite characters from the films, so Cal could get his own comic series, for example.
Don’t discount more game appearances for Cal either. Jedi 3 might be the end of the trilogy, but the series has been well-received critically and has sold well. There’s something admirable about quitting when you’re ahead and letting a story end, but if Jedi 3 proves to be a success, EA could have a hard time leaving the lucrative franchise on the shelf forever. Perhaps Cal could be a supporting character in a Jedi spinoff revolving around a new playable protagonist, or even play a role in an entirely different Star Wars game. Regardless of what happens, it’s exciting to hear Lucasfilm has no plans to abandon Cal. He’s a compelling character and it’ll be fun to see where his story goes from here.
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