Liam Neeson may be reprising his role as Qui-Gon Jinn in the upcoming “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series. He would be another prequel actor to appear after Hayden Christensen has been confirmed to play Darth Vader in the series.
There has not been yet an official confirmation from Disney about Neeson, but the news seems to be more than just a rumour. The gossip about him returning has been resurfacing from multiple sources recently with reference to insider sources. Whatever the case, Qui-Gon’s appearance would make a lot of sense.
The official logo of the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series (scheduled for 2022)
Why On Tatooine?
At the end of Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan is about to depart for his Tatooine exile with baby Luke, when Yoda stops him. He tells him the words that may very well become the basis for Qui-Gon’s appearance in “Kenobi”:
“In your solitude on Tatooine, training I have for you. (…) An old friend has learned the path to immortality. One who has returned from the netherworld of the Force. Your old master. (…) How to commune with him, I will teach you.”
So Obi-Wan may very well undergo such a “training” in the show. Liam Neeson could then easily appear as a Force ghost, even in full form (or perhaps first only as a disembodied voice and later, as Obi-Wan learns to “see” deeper, Qui-Gon can appear – certainly potential for an epic moment).
Is it too much to hope that we might also see some of the “inner workings of the Force” and the teachings of the Jedi? (Touching such topics can be amazing if done right, and a complete disaster if done wrong. Remember the controversy around the mention of the midichlorians in The Phantom Menace.)
Why Not Both?
There is another possibility, of course. Qui-Gon might appear simply in flashbacks as Obi-Wan reminisces some old events. That would have its problems, however – mainly, having to try to make the actors look decades younger.
But why not have both? One or two flashbacks may add something interesting to the show. Especially if done right (make them short and avoid showing the actors’ faces too much). It might be equally interesting to have flashbacks with very young Obi-Wan and very young Qui-Gon using completely new teenage or child actors, for example.
Whatever the case, Qui-Gon’s appearance still does not entirely answer the question “What in the name of all is going to happen in ‘Kenobi’ besides Obi-Wan sitting in the desert, occasionally chasing Sand People away from the Skywalker farm”. It answers part of the question, however. And it would easily create enough material for a plot of one entire episode, or multiple appearances here and there. And it goes without saying that seeing Liam Neeson reprise his role as Qui-Gon will be great.
Now we just need Maul – and honestly, if anything deserves a live-action remake, then it would be Obi-Wan’s rematch with Maul from “Twin Suns”.
The “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series is scheduled for 2022.
