Ahmed Best, known for his role as Jar Jar Binks in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, revealed that he will not be returning to the role for Disney+'s Obi-Wan Kenobi.Following the full cast reveal for the upcoming Star Wars show, Best congratulated the cast and shared his excitement for the show on Twitter. Once a few users in the replies began speculating about Jar Jar Binks' return to a galaxy far, far away, he used the opportunity to clear up any suspicion. "Thanks for the love, but I will not be in this series," Best responded.
He added, "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."
Previously, it was rumored that Obi-Wan was going to meet up with Jar Jar at some point during the series, which takes place between Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: A New Hope. The source of the rumor claimed that the two were going to discuss the rise of the Galactic Empire and that Jar Jar Binks would be sporting a full beard. Best had also previously revealed that he was willing to return as Jar Jar Binks, "depend[ing] on the story."
Jar Jar Binks made his debut in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Since the conclusion of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, Best has only returned to the role a handful of times, most notably for the acclaimed animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Best now stars in the Star Wars universe as another character, Jedi Master Kelleran Beq, in Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge.
Best's Phantom Menace co-star Liam Neeson defended the actor's performance as Jar Jar Binks during an interview. "He came into a lot of criticism, I mean to the point where it really hurt his career," Neeson said. "And I have to say when I was making that film… He was probably one of the funniest guys and talented guys I have ever worked with." More recently, Neeson was asked if he would return as Qui-Gon Jinn for the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. While he had not heard anything about the series, he shared that he would be willing to reprise his role.
Directed by Deborah Chow, Obi-Wan Kenobi stars Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Joel Edgerton, Moses Ingram, Bonnie Piesse, Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell and Benny Safdie. The series has yet to receive a premiere date.
Source: Twitter