Entertainment Weekly got to break the story that Liam Neeson is indeed returning to The Clone Wars in an upcoming arc that explores the prophecy of the Chosen One. He is reprising his role of Qui-Gon Jinn.
Reading this news brought shivers down my spine.
Fans will remember Qui-Gon’s brief appearance in Genndy Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars show, but it wasn’t voiced by Neeson.
Perhaps my biggest complaint with Entertainment Weekly’s coverage here is the tone they strike about The Phantom Menace and the prequels, as though the news lede here is that we should be shocked Neeson would want to come back after such a movie. It’s just disheartening to see how often the film is reviled in the press. But that’s a different story.
Liam Neeson is returning to that Galaxy Far, Far Away. EW has learned exclusively that the actor will reprise his Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace role as doomed Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn on Cartoon Network’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Jan. 28 and again on Feb. 11. He’ll be voicing Qui-Gon, who appears to Obi-Wan Kenobi in visions, in a three-part arc about his former protégé Anakin Skywalker’s destiny as the Chosen One.
They have an exclusive video clip, though at press time it wasn’t functioning. As soon as they get it working, I’ll update this piece with my thoughts about it.
The more I think about it though, the more curious I am about how they’re going to tie this in to Yoda’s comments about Qui-Gon in Revenge of the Sith and Yoda hearing Qui-Gon screaming when Anakin slaughters the sand people in Attack of the Clones…
Secrets revealed? This is it!