Jar Jar Binks is coming back to Star Wars, new leak claims
Heesa back, and beardier than ever. Allegedly.
As Star Wars fans continue to lick their wounds over the mixed bag that was The Rise of Skywalker, the galaxy continues to move on, in some rather surprising directions. Making Star Wars editor Jason Ward dropped a pretty big bombshell on Friday afternoon, revealing his sources have told him that a controversial character from the prequel trilogy will return in the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ series starring Ewan McGregor.
No, we’re not talking about Anakin, or Padme, Yaddle, Watto, or those Trade Federation guys. We’re through the looking glass here, people. According to Ward’s sources, Jar Jar Binks is back baybeeeee!
“I’m told “Ben” Kenobi crosses paths with his old friend from Naboo, Jar Jar Binks. Early work has been conducted for the CGI Gungan’s return to Star Wars,” Ward writes.
As is typical of the Disney-Lucasfilm era, this isn’t a grown and sexy Jar Jar, but an old sad bastard reflecting on his failures. He’s even managed to grow a mandatory beard of shame, like Luke Skywalker.
“Jar Jar has a beard to reflect where he’s been and what his life has been like since they were all deceived by a great lie that ushered in the first Galactic Empire,” the leaker elaborates.
Ward did not disclose whether this chastened, post-Republic Jar Jar will be seen bitterly swigging green walrus-tiddy milk, like Old Luke in The Last Jedi.
Will sad old Jar Jar take a cue from sad old Luke?
The Making Star Wars editor notes that since the show hasn’t filmed yet, the scripts and plans for the show are likely to change, so he’s treating it as a rumor. Still, he adds, “I believe it to be accurate and on the way.”
We already know Ahmed Best, who portrayed the goofy Gungan in the prequel trilogy, will be hosting a series on Disney+, Jedi Temple Challenge. The game show promises to pit younglings through a series of physical and mental feats, in what we imagine to be something akin to Nickelodeon’s 90’s gems like Guts and Legends of the Hidden Temple, only with a Star Wars twist. It’s not outside the realm of possibility that he could reprise his role for a cameo or two in the upcoming Kenobi series.
As surprising as this latest leak is, it does raise some pretty intriguing storytelling possibilities for Kenobi (which is what we’re calling it until Disney tells us otherwise). It would be enormously interesting to see how Obi-Wan and Jar Jar react to Anakin’s fall, and whether they get up to anything relating to Anakin and Padme’s children. There’s a lot of interesting ties to the Skywalker and Palpatine clans on Naboo that the show could mine as well.
Until someone at Lucasfilm makes it official though, this is all just bantha poodoo. Still, gotta admit — we don’t hate this idea as much as we thought we would.
Star Wars: Kenobi does not yet have a release date.
